A poor rural school, which has been performing wonders in the Grade 12 results over the past years, will now be able to have proper accommodation. The R20million plan to rebuild Thengwe High School in Mutale was announced by the MEC for Education, Dr Aaron Motswaledi, during his visit to the Mutale Municipal area over the weekend. Construction will start next month.

Established in 1965, the first matriculation certificate results were impressive, with two exemptions when such results were rarely achieved in secondary schools at the time. The school has since then worked very hard to establish itself as one of the best in the country. In 2000, the school obtained 97,9% pass rate in the Grade 12 final examinations. The results became more impressive when they obtained 99,3% in 2001, followed by 98,6% in 2003. In 2004, the school obtained 98,3% and finally obtained 98,8% last year. This year, the school has an enrolment of approximately 1 800 learners.

Thengwe High School has also produced countless full marks in Grade 12 final exams in the past years, with Herbert Kharivhe, being the only learner in Limpopo who obtained 400 out of 400 in the Economics final exams last year.

“I am pleased to announce that the department has allocated R20million to rebuild the school after learning that it has produced quality results over the past years, although they have limited resources. Engineers from the Department of Public Works declared the present school unfit for human occupation. I personally visited the school and found that the buildings were falling apart. Despite all this, educators, learners and parents worked hard to produce quality results and we felt that the department had to do something to reward them, especially after learning that it is the only school that produced full marks in last year’s Grade 12 Economics final year examinations,” said Motswaledi.

The new building will comprise approximately 40 classrooms, an administration block, a science laboratory, a school hall, a computer laboratory, a library, a biology laboratory and modern sports facilities. The Mutale Municipality has donated 13 stands for the erection of the project.

The chairperson of Thengwe High School’s governing body, Mr Shumani Ravhuanzwo, said the allocation of the buildings would motivate different school stakeholders to work hard.

“This is what we have been waiting for and we are happy that education will now go smoothly without any stumbling blocks. We are also proud to learn that we are the first to get this type of facelift in the province. This clearly indicates that we have not been sweating for nothing in the previous years, hence we are going to reap the fruits of our hard labour…”

Ravhuanzwo thanked the department and said the school is looking forward to obtaining a 100% pass rate in this year’s Grade 12 final examinations.