January 15, 2003
By Bongani Majola
AT about this time last year, Gauteng MEC for Education Ignatius Jacobs, in tandem with Education Minister Kader Asmal, unexpectedly pounced on certain schools in the province on the first day of school. The pair was furious with anger at the general unreadiness of the schools, teachers and learners to commence the education calendar.
However, the temperament of this pair of political heads, as they made their now customary visits to schools on Wednesday at Eqinisweni High School in Ivory Park near Midrand, was jovial.
Learners gather for morning assembly
Eqinisweni (Zulu for place of truth), was one of the province's top performing schools in 2002, achieving a 97% matric pass rate, no doubt contributing to Gauteng's overall 78% pass rate.
Unlike last year, learners arrived on time and teachers were on hand to proceed with the educational activities of the day. Asmal and Jacobs were welcomed as they arrived at the school that has produced a number of top performers.
"The stars of 2002", as the schools principal Mpoku Tau called them, were 17-year old twins, Zuko and Zukile Gana, who had obtained 9 straight As between them, in subjects including Mathematics, Biology and Science.
"I am very proud to celebrate the first day of school with you, with your teachers and with your stars," Asmal told the assembled learners. "I bring with me greetings from the President and the cabinet, who are meeting in Cape Town today. I did not attend the cabinet meeting because I just had to come here and see for myself this township school which has made us all proud."
Eqinisweni continues to demonstrate, said Asmal, that even in democracy, everybody has to work hard, "if not harder". Principal Tau echoed the minister's words, as he told the morning assembly that "with hard work must come dedication and consistency".
As for the stars of the school, "I won't say much, I just want to invite them to tea with the ministers and hope that other learners will yearn for the opportunity to have tea with the minister next year," Tau said amid cheers from the learners.
After a tea break, the ministerial entourage then departed for yet another visit to a school in Protea, Soweto, to bring messages of congratulation from a province that has consistently improved matric results for four consecutive years.
