YEAR IN REVIEW 2023: EDUCATION
Pupils in coastal provinces such as the Eastern Cape returned to their desks on Wednesday January 18 for the start of the 2023 academic year.
Various primary schools in Ndlambe were well prepared to tackle the year.
For Happy Hours PrePrimary School, the excitement started a week before as it welcomed its pupils back on Tuesday January 10.
Alexandria Christian Academy followed, with their staff and pupils returning to school on Wednesday January 11.
At a media briefing in East London on Friday January 13, Eastern Cape education MEC Fundile Gade said the department managed to deliver according to the plan and this had positioned all ECDoE schools to commence with the 2023 academic year with the required resources to support teaching and learning.
The delivery status was as follows: workbooks – 99%, textbooks – 98.9%, stationery – 96% (100% in seven districts).
El Shaddai Christian Academy and Kuyasa Combined School celebrated achieving a 100% pass rate.
Port Alfred High popped corks in celebration of the school’s 94% pass rate.
Several schools in Ndlambe improved their pass rate compared to the previous year, with Ukhanyo Secondary School in Alexandria leading the pack.
Ukhanyo improved by 34.6%, from 55.1% in 2021 to 89.7% in 2022.
Nompucuko Combined School in Bushmans River Mouth followed with a remarkable 25.7%, from 60% in 2021 to 85.71% last year.
FEBRUARY
Three weeks after the start of the new school year, the departments of education and transport were struggling to iron out problems with scholar transport.
A group of Klipfontein Primary School pupils were barely inside a classroom. With a distance of 10km from home to school for the eight children, who range in age from seven to 15, there was no official scholar transport for them.
On February 2 and 3, the Dave Hodgson Squash Festival was hosted by St Andrew’s College.
Some exciting matches were played.
The first match against Graeme College was closely contested but the St Andrew’s 1st team was able to take the match 13-11.
The second match against
Grey High School B was slightly easier and St Andrew’s won convincingly 18-3.
The third match against Stirling High was another tight game, which St Andrew’s won 13-9.
In this match, Samuel Scheckter played his second five-setter where he managed to clinch the final game 11-9.
The final match for St Andrew’s was against Kingswood College, with St Andrew’s beating Kingswood 18-3.
MARCH
In March, Roxanne Samuel represented the Sarah Baartman District at the inter-provincial in Mthatha.
ESCA proudly received certificates and a trophy from Ms Ntomboxolo Ntanga for their matrics’ 100% pass rate.
PAHS senior athletes participated in the Eastern Provinces Athletics League, with Lithetha Gcume coming first in the 3,000m and sixth in the 1,500m.
Kaine Heny came in first place as the EP champion in high jump.
A further well done to Lewis Siambwezele and Iviwe Jekana for participating.
Kingswood hosted many teams in the Rhini league.
Well done to Bulelani Mkele who was named Best Speaker in all his debates vs Graeme College, Kingswood and PJ Olivier.
Adam Schultz was named Best Speaker in the senior division.
Lilitha Gobane, a novice Grade 8 debater, did very well.
His team beat PJ Olivier, earning Lilitha a Best Speaker certificate.
Debaters explored topics on Artificial intelligence and longevity.
Amahle Zulu and Bulelani Mkele were part of the formidable team who, along with Lithemba Tuko scored a hat-trick.
Ms Atteridge, their coach and league adjudicator, was very excited for this year.
PAHS attended a debating festival well represented by teams from as far as Border, Gqeberha and East London.
Bulelani Mkele was named Best Speaker in debate vs Hudson Park and the juniors also won this debate vs Hudson.
The motion debated was whether to allow students to use AI-generated content.
APRIL
In April, the Ndlambe Fire Department and the Dog/ Animal Control unit visited El Shaddai Christian Academy.
They gave an interesting talk on fire safety and showed the pupils the different apparatus they use in the event of a fire or motor vehicle accident.
The Dog/Animal Control unit spoke about what to do if attacked by a dog.
The first Stoep Stories Market was held in Boknes.
Organiser, Marietjie Diener, said her aim was to hold the market every month.
Everyone was welcomed to book a table, as long as their offering didn’t clash with a stand already booked or with local businesses that were open on the day (for example, the butchery, ice cream shop and coffee shop).
Kowie Foundation School Grade 2s Freya Prince, Amillia Snyman and Bukho Ndimba participated in the April 21 World Creativity and Innovation Day challenge.
They came up with a mythological beast using just Lego!
The Grade 5s at Kowie
Foundation School were set a World Creativity and Innovation Day challenge on Friday April 21 and were encouraged to use whatever was on hand to create a themed board of their choosing.
Working against the clock, the end results ranged from fish and flowers to the faraway places in outer space.
Port Alfred High School first netball team received new stunning kit sponsored by BUCO.
MAY
In May, the staff and school governing body members of Kuyasa Combined School visited the family of a Grade 7 pupil who was believed to have taken his own life.
South African Police Service spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the 13-year-old boy was found hanging from a rafter in the garage at his West Beach Drive Port Alfred home on Friday April 28.
The staff, parents and pupils of El Shaddai Christian Academy were part of a Back to School Service at Word of Truth.
Mrs Payne gave an encouraging message about the future plans for the school.
Candice Spengler delivered an uplifting message.
Tshepho Phora and SarahLee Samuel from ESCA were sponsored by Port Alfred Rotary to go to the RYCL Leadership Summit in Makhanda.
ESCA thanked PA Rotary for the wonderful opportunity.
Qhayiya Primary School, situated in Ward 5, Bathurst, was faced with the daunting and ongoing challenge of a water shortage.
This resulted in clogged, filthy and unusable toilets, resulting in a hazardous environment for the pupils and staff.
ESCA traveled to Jeffreys Bay to compete in the AGA Soulpoint and GLA Archery competitions.
El Shaddai Christian Academy archers performed well, achieving impressive results.
Kowie Foundation School enjoyed a visit from a delegation from the Ndlambe CrossCountry and Development League who presented medals and trophies for 2022.
The athletes accumulated points after runs held at various venues throughout the municipality.
Their participation was as important as their performance.
JUNE
In June, Kingswood College pupils were selected to represent the Eastern Cape Province in their various codes.
The full list of EP
representatives (not in the same order as in the photograph) are Chloe Conyers (U15 netball; Brad Goss, Niza Simukonda and Jean-Luc Basson (U18B hockey); Jack Collet, Rogan Goliath (U16B hockey); Luc Starkey, NadavBuchalter (U16C hockey); Tyler Ray (U14A hockey); Josh Cromhout, Zac Montagna (U14B hockey); Joanna Du Toit (U16A hockey); Ella Stone (U16B hockey).
On Saturday June 3, Alexandria Christian Academy’s sports field came alive with vibrant hues and pulsating energy during the Colour Run and Sports Day spectacle.
About 200 enthusiastic runners took part and together with six visiting schools participating in soccer, rugby, hockey and netball, this unforgettable day was a celebration of athleticism, teamwork, and the joy of living life in full colour.
The Colour Run, a unique 4km race, kicked off the festivities with a burst of excitement.
Runners of all ages, clad mostly in white shirts, eagerly lined up at the starting point.
On Tuesday June 13, Department of Education officials returned to Qhayiya Primary School in Nolukhanyo, Bathurst.
The school’s 910 children had a month of disrupted schooling.
The winter school holidays started on June 23, 10 days after the visit.
Community members joined parents, staff, SGB members and children of Qhayiya Primary outside the school gates, as they waited for education officials to meet them regarding the appointment of two Grade R
teachers.
Thieves broke into Ekuphumleni Educare Centre, in Kenton-On-Sea, for the fourth time.
This time stealing more than a month’s supplies for school meals.
Caregivers at the centre had to quickly come up with a plan to make sure the 53 children in their care would not go hungry.
“I really don’t know what to do now,” community leader and manager of Kenton’s Siyakha Victim Support Centre, Mike Konaha, had told Talk of the Town.
He said it was a terrible situation which not only affected the crèche, but also the church next door and many houses in the neighbourhood.
On Friday June 16, El Shaddai’s cross country team participated in an event at Tarkastad.
Abenathi Kazinete won a silver medal, Amyoli Tyabazayo a bronze medal and Trustworth Sibanda a silver medal. Trustworth qualified for the nationals in KwaZulu- Natal.
Zerande van Deventer, Rudan van Deventer and Ncgali Ngwekazi participated in the regional cross country race held in Tarkastad. Zerande came third (girls U10), Rudan came second (boys U7) and Ngcali came first (boys U10).
Ngcali qualified for the national cross country event.
An art and photography competition, in celebration of World Bee Day, was held in Pietermaritzburg from May 23 to June 5.
Happy Hours Grade R puil Jordan Elliott’s art was chosen to be exhibited at the Royal Show.