Gauteng celebrates a revolution in education with inaugural Schools of Specialisation Festival
From vegetables grown without soil and an award-winning, first-of-its-kind solar train, art pieces that go for up to R23 000, and a live concert that brought the house down, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) launched the Schools of Specialisation (SOS) Festival with pizazz.
Held at the John Orr School of Specialisation in Milpark, Johannesburg, the inaugural festival brought together pupils, teachers, parents, sponsors and education officials in an inspiring showcase of the revolution of education in Gauteng.
The schools of specialisation follow a bespoke curriculum to meet the needs of Gauteng’s five economic corridors by offering a combination of theory and practical work in engineering; maths, science and ICT; commerce and entrepreneurship; sports; and performing and creative arts.
The festivities were divided into three parts, which kicked off with entertainment offered by sports and arts schools. Guests were treated to choral music, aerobics, gymnastics and soccer displays before the formal proceedings opened with the singing of the national anthem.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said: “The province has been hard at work over the past six years to ensure that education and skills development directly responds to the skills shortage in the country in order to reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality. The schools of specialisation demonstrate to all that introducing skills development in the curriculum simplifies the transition from student to work.”
Describing the festival as the highlight of his first seven days in office, Chiloane said: “The mood is high, everyone is ready and telling me that ‘we are here to support you’.”
The second part was a walkabout to view the school’s exhibitions as the adjudication panel went about the tough task of choosing the winner.
Led by the province’s deputy director-general for curriculum management and delivery, Chiloane and business mogul Sizwe Nxasana and the owner of Sifiso Edtech, who were sponsors of the festival, they visited all the exhibitions stalls of the different schools and listened attentively as the pupils presented and demonstrated their projects.
The third and final segment of the festival was an explosion of song and dance with the band from the East Rand Performing, and Creative Arts School of Specialisation turning the atmosphere at the festival into a music concert with pupils, teachers and parents screaming, singing along and dancing to old and modern classics. The East Rand school earned third place in the Performing and Creative Arts category.
This was followed by the announcement of the winning projects and a prize-giving ceremony. The Soshanguve Engineering School of Specialisation scooped the top prize in the engineering category with their solar-powered train. The school has won several awards, including being crowned the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) South Africa Annual Teen Entrepreneur of the Year champions. They will compete against the world’s best technical schools for the SAGE Teen Entrepreneurship World Cup in August in the US.
Chief director of education in the Johannesburg Region Dennis Macuacua and John Orr pupil Lethabo Motlokwa were the programme directors and ensured all the activities run smoothly. The hosts John Orr scooped third place in the engineering category, and it was formally unveiled as a school of specialisation in engineering in August.
The first school of specialisation, the Curtis Nkondo School of Specialisation, which focuses on Engineering, Maths and Science; ICT and Commerce and Entrepreneurship, was launched in 2016 in Emndeni, Soweto. It replaced Fontanus High School. At the festival, Curtis Nkondo came second in the Maths, Science and ICT category.
The Kwa-thema Skills School of Specialisation catering for pupils with special learning needs was awarded the MEC’S Special Award for specialising in diverse disciplines, such as hospitality, beauty and hairdressing.
Katlehong took home the second prize in the engineering category with its project of growing vegetables without soil using 85% less water than conventional farming methods.
Pupils who pass grade 12 leave the school with a number of certificates, including a driver’s licences and training to operate a forklift and overhead crane as well as lifeguard training. The majority of pupils (62%) are girls.
The schools are spread across Gauteng’s development corridors; the central corridor with City of Johannesburg as its centre is the heart of the financial services; ICT and the pharmaceutical industry. The eastern corridor, the manufacturing, logistics and transport hub, revolves around Ekurhuleni. The northern corridor, with Tshwane at the core is the heartland of the automotive sector; research and development; nuclear energy and knowledge and innovation.
The western corridor with the West Rand as the nerve centre is the home of agro-processing, logistics, tourism, archaeology, tourism and logistics, while the southern corridor, encompassing the Sedibeng area focuses on tourism, entertainment, agro-processing and logistics.
The Gauteng department of education plans to transform an additional 14 schools in the province into schools of specialisation by the end of the first quarter of 2024.