MTHOBISI SITHOLE
UTHOBEKE izinhliziyo umndeni kamengameli wokuqala we-ANC Youth League (ANCYL), uMnu Anton Lembede owadlula emhlabeni ngo-1947 ngokuthi kuqanjwe ngaye isikole sikanokusho sobuchwepheshe bezibalo nesayensi esiseLa Mercy, eThekwini.
Lo mndeni uthi uMnu Lembede owayengummeli ngokwemfundo, okumanje kuqanjwe ngaye omunye wemigwaqo ephithizelayo eThekwini, okwakuwuSmith Street phambilini ububona engakahlonishwa ngokwanele eNingizimu Afrika, kodwa ngenxa yalesi sikole esibizwa nge-Anton Lembede Mathematics, Science and Technology School of Innovation, usukhululekile.
Lesi sikole besivulwa ngoMgqibelo. UNkz Sbongile Lembede (66) ozalwa ngumfowabo kaMnu Lembede, uthi kubajabulisile ukuphakanyiswa kwaleli gama.
“Mhlawumbe namathambo akhe ayasukuma emathuneni ngoba ngisho ukuthi kukhulunywe ngaye, akuyona into ejwayele kodwa sesibonile ukuthi kalisophinde liphele igama lakhe,” kusho uNkz Lembede.
Lesi sikole esakhiwe wumnyango wezemfundo, sidle u-R250 million. Kuthathe iminyaka ewu-5 ukuphothulwa kwaso ngenxa yobukhulu baso nobuxhakaxhaka bezinsizakusebenza eziphakathi.
INhloko yoMnyango wezeMfundo KwaZulu-Natal, uDkt Enoch Nzama, ithe inhloso yokwakhiwa kwalesi sikole wukuba kucijwe abafundi abazophuma beyomela leli zwe nakwamanye amazwe emkhakheni weSayensi, iMaths, ezobuchwepheshe, ezobuholi nokunye.
Uthi kuzothathwa uGrade 8 kuphela unyaka nonyaka, okungabafundi abazokhuphuka baze bayophuma kwaGrade-12.
“Lesi sikole sigxile kule mikhakha kuphela ukuze izingane zizophuma namakhono ahlukile, zikwazi nokusabalala ngendlela esenelisayo nathi. Yize sikhona esinye isikole esisondela kulesi, esibizwa ngeMandla Mthethwa esisakhe eminyakeni edlule, kodwa kasikho ezingeni lalesi ngokwezinsiza eziphakathi,” kusho uDkt Nzama.
Uthi inhloso yomnyango njengamanje wukwakha izikole ezigxile emikhakheni ethile okubalwa ezokutshuza emanzini, ezolimo nezobuciko ukuze abafundi baphume becijeke ngenye indlela.
“Kuvumeleke noma yiluphi uhlanga (kulesi sikole), inqobo nje uma kungumntwana ofuna ukuyokwenza izifundo zobuchwepheshe. Zizoba khona nezinye izifundo, kodwa okuzogxilwa kuzona ngezobuchwepheshe nezifundo ezintsha zokwenza into uyisusa phansi nezifundo eziqeqeshela ubuholi bakusasa emphakathini.
“Akufundwa kakhulu ngamaphepha, ngisho incwadi izobe ifakwe kwikhompyutha ukuze ingane iphumele ngaphandle ikwazi ukuqhudelana nezakwamanye amazwe. Okwamanje senzisa izifundo ezizovulela abantwana amathuba emisebenzi,” kusho uDkt Nzama.
Uveze nokuthi nakuba abazali bezokhokha u-R41 000 ngonyaka (ngomfundi ngamunye), kodwa umnyango uzohlinzeka ngemifundaze kulabo abenza kahle ezifundweni zabo, kodwa abangenawo amandla.
Kule mali kubalwa ukuhlala ngaphakathi kwabafundi, umfaniswano, isimo sokuphepha kwabo ukukhokheleka kukagesi namanzi. Ezifundweni ezizokwenziwa kubalwa iComputer Applications, Information Technology, Life Skills, Leadership, Innovation and Robotics, Visual Arts nezinye.
Okwamanje babalelwa ku-1 000 abafundi abafake izicelo zokufunda kulesi sikole kodwa kuzohlungwa ngokwemiphumela yakwaGrade-7 nenhlolokhono.
Abafundi abazothathwa bawu-150 kwaGrade-8 kodwa isikole sizomumatha abawu-600. Kuqalwa ngonyaka ozayo ukufunda.
mthobisis@ilanganews.co.za
