07 Feb 2016

Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Mr Carter Morupisi, is Moroka Primary School’s patron.

Mr Morupisi was introduced to the community on Friday February 5.

In his remarks, he noted that he accepted the request for him to adopt the school in recognition of the need for all to play a role in developing the country’s education. 

He added that he was also moved by the fact that the school also admitted children living with various forms of disabilities.

Again, he noted concern by government over poor results at both primary and secondary schools, saying there was therefore urgent need for stakeholders to join hands to reverse the trend. 

He, however, commended the school for having worked hard in recent years to improve its results. 

He said having moved from a 75 per cent pass rate in 2013 to 87 in both 2014 and 2015 was evidence of its commitment to doing even better in helping shape the future of its pupils. 

Mr Morupisi informed the gathering that though he was also patron of other schools, among them Malaka Primary School, that would not deter him from doing his best to help the school. 

He then pledged P2 000 to the school as a way of encouraging pupils and teachers to do their best despite the challenges they were faced with. 

Moroka Primary School former school head, Ms Adeline Gunda, during whose tenure the search for a patron started, said the school’s admission of children with special needs meant it was faced with challenges different from those experienced by other schools. 

Ms Gunda said children in the school’ special education unit attended school from different villages in the district, some from as far Kalakamati which is about 50 kilometres away. 

She also noted that since the children had to be picked from their homes early on a daily basis, they reached school sleepy and already exhausted and would thus not be in a position to perform well in various activities. 

“Leaving school earlier than their counterparts in ordinary classes meant they also missed out on participating in extra-curricular activities,” she added.

She thus explained that they then resolved as the school management to source help to have hostels built for the children to ensure that they too fully benefitted from the school programmes. 

It was such need, she said, that pushed them to look for a patron to help them realise this dream. 

Commending the PSP for having heeded their call, she said access to accommodation in Moroka would also result in deserving children who were not attending school to finally enjoy such an opportunity as well. 

Ms Gunda also commended a resident, Mr Clark Moroka for having donated a plot for construction of hostels. Ends