Minister in haar noppies met skole
OUDTSHOORN - Die WesKaap se minister van onderwys, Debbie Schäfer, het verlede week ‘n draai in Oudtshoorn gemaak en drie skole besoek.
Laerskool Laurus was eerste op haar lys waar sy as deel van Nasionale Boekeweek, klaskamers besoek het en ‘n kinderverhaal aan leerders voorgelees het. Na afloop van haar besoek het Schäfer gesê dit is vir haar ongelooflik wat die skool die afgelope paar jaar bereik het.
“I was very impressed by the attitude and dedication of the staff and parents of Laerskool Laurus, previously known as Laerskool Oudtshoorn-Noord. It has been transformed from being a school with dwindling enrolment and sub-par facilities into an excellent example of a quality school. Rather than just accept the circumstances of the school, the community has taken ownership of it and invested their time, skills and resources into improving the buildings and teaching at the school.”
Ronel Huysamen, skoolhoof van Laurus, het met haar verwelkoming gesê die besoek van die minister is vir haar ‘n onderwyshoogtepunt. “Ons probeer al so lank om die minister hier te kry net om te wys hoe ons die skool die afgelope aantal jare omgekeer het. Met my aanstelling as skoolhoof was hier skaars 200 leerders, maar met die ondersteuning van ons ouers, beheerliggaam en puik personeel het ons vandag meer as 500 leerders, en infrastruktuur uit die boonste rakke waarop ons baie trots is.”
Schäfer het beaam dat ‘n skool se vooruitgang afhang van die leierskap en vennootskappe wat gesmee word.
Na afloop van haar besoek aan Laurus het Schäfer ook by Aurial Kollege en Coleridge Primêr besoek afgelê. Dié twee skole het befondsing vir projekte ontvang en die minister het gaan inloer om te kyk tot watter mate die befondsing die skole kon verbeter. Oor haar besoek aan Aurial Kollege het sy gesê: “Aurial College purchased new whiteboards for classrooms with the funding, and I was pleased to see that they have received a highsecurity fence since my last visit, securing the property. The acting principal, Ms Karen Alexander, also shared some of their future plans for a sports field and other projects with me.”
Sy was ook baie tevrede met die aanwending van fondse by Colridge Primêr. “The school received funding for a projector to be used for e-Learning. I was impressed by the attitude of the principal, Mr Peter Adams, who is committed to the improvement of the school and the wellbeing of the children of Oudtshoorn.”