Call to make agriculture a compulsory subject in EC schools
Agricultural sciences should be made a compulsory subject in Eastern Cape schools, according to education MEC Fundile Gade.
Speaking at the official opening of the revamped Gobizizwe Agricultural High School in Ncise village near Mthatha on Thursday, Gade said at present, the subject was optional.
But if it were made compulsory, it would go a long way towards changing the outlook of the entire province as it would contribute to skills development, particularly among young people, and ensure sustainable livelihoods in years to come.
Through a memorandum of understanding between Gade’s department, the OR Tambo district municipality and mining giant Anglo Gold Ashanti, the latter funded construction of six additional classrooms, 18 toilets and an administration block at a cost of R4.5m.
Gade said the time had come for people to move away from the belief that they should be employed, either by the government or the private sector.
“We must move into a space where we are the owners of our own industries,” he said.
Gobizizwe was established in 2013 and started with 150 pupils. That number has increased to 509.
Anglo Gold Ashanti’s stakeholder engagement manager, Setshedi Rasepae, said they had invested millions of rands in improving education across the province over the years.
OR Tambo district mayor Thokozile Sokanyile praised Anglo Gold Ashanti for stepping in and assisting in improving infrastructure at the school. However she said they wanted more children to be equipped with skills.
This was because agriculture had been identified as one of the key local economic development drivers to help boost the district’s economy.
“We don’t have mines and industries but we do have land,” she said.