School shows miracles are possible
ONCE ridiculed as being among the worst schools in Mpumalanga, Manyangana High has become the proverbial poster child for excellence.
In 2011, only 30% of its matrics passed — and 18 girls fell pregnant. The school has only 602 pupils and 21 teachers.
Last year, however, all but one of its matriculants passed and not a single girl was expecting at this no-fee school in Utah, a village outside Bushbuckridge, about 100km east of Mashishing (Lydenburg) in Mpumalanga. All this was achieved with the help of a bush retreat lasting a mere six days.
The turnaround began when the school was chosen to take part in a programme run by the Columba Leadership Academy in 2011.
The organisation, the brainchild of retired Johannesburg businessman Rob Taylor, pioneers a leadership programme for struggling schools in the area.
A small group of pupils and teachers from Manyangana High School were sent to the retreat in Limpopo, where they were taught awareness, focus, creativity and the importance of perseverance and service.
Inspired, the group immediately began counselling their peers to take responsibility for their education and school.
The turnaround time was extremely rare . . . it’s nothing short of remarkable — the change in just one year
The new “leaders” divided pupils into two crews to rotate in the cleaning of the toilets and school grounds.
They also initiated extra lessons before and after school to help the pupils improve their marks. Pupils now study from 6.15am before the first lesson at 7.20am, and carry on working until about 3.30pm after school lets out at 2pm.
Principal Elvis Siwela can barely believe it is the same place.
Two years ago, Manyangana’s grounds were littered with filth, many girls were pregnant and absenteeism was high.
In 2012, only two pupils were expecting — and last year there was not a single pregnancy.
Parents used to be harshly critical of Manyangana. “But now you can ask anyone and they will speak of this school with joy,” said Siwela proudly.
More than 1 000 pupils and 300 teachers have participated in the programme since Columba was launched five years ago.
It usually takes some time for schools to change — but Manyangana was different.
“The turnaround time was extremely rare,” said Taylor. “It’s nothing short of remarkable — the change in just one year.”
The community of Utah near the school has also become involved in its development.
A thriving 2 000m² vegetable and herb garden on the school premises was initiated by the five-star Thornybush Collection of private lodges.
Glen van Heerden, a shareholder in Thornybush, said it had trained 12 local women to maintain the garden. The produce, which includes cabbages, onions, tomatoes and beetroot, is sold to about seven private lodges in the area.
Van Heerden said the garden earned “about R11 000 a month, which goes towards maintaining the garden and paying salaries”.
The school gets a portion of this money, which covers the salaries of two security guards.
Precious Mabunda, 18, and Mikhongelo Mkhantshuka, 17, said that two years ago they were averaging 45% in their grades. But last year both teens passed with a 70% average and now they have dreams of becoming a dentist and biochemist, respectively.