NMMU, trust pact shot in arm for rural school pupils

A development trust and Eastern Cape university have partnered to improve the lives of thousands of rural school pupils in the province.

The long-term partnership between Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and iKamvelihle Development Trust (iKDT) will see rural teachers, pupils and their surrounding communities getting support to improve teaching and learning at their schools.

These include providing training for teachers, establishing ICT centres and assisting in maths and science education.

iKDT founder Lindiwe Msengana-Ndlela said the project was about education and development targeted at improving the lives of about 5000 pupils in Cala and its surrounding areas in the initial phase.

“We started with 10 schools within the Chris Hani District Municipality with the hope of expanding to all schools in the district,” she said.

The partnership was rubber-stamped when the university and the iKDT signed a memorandum of understanding last Friday.

Batandwa Ndondo Senior Secondary School principal Busisiwe Sidumo-Gqwetha, the principal at one of the Cala schools benefitting from the project, said he hoped pupils would be motivated by the project.

“As rural as the school is, we have hardworking teachers. With the coming in of iKDT and NMMU, we hope that our learners will be motivated to work harder.

“We promise that we are going to work towards success with both partners within this period and to strengthen the relations we have formed,” said Sidumo-Gqwetha.

NMMU spokeswoman Zandile Mbabela said the signing of the memorandum was a culmination of a year-long engagement between the university, iKDT and the schools, during which various challenges were identified and possible solutions mapped.

To support the initiative, Mbabela said NMMU has so far offered various interventions from different faculties.

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(GMMDU) will assist with maths and science education through the use of modern technologies and communication and stakeholder liaison – under which student recruitment falls – to help with the provision of career and study choice information through annual exhibitions,” said Mbabela.

NMMU deputy vice-chancellor for institutional support, Sibongile Muthwa, said they supported the initiative fully.

“We have been very keen to take our work to hinterland of our country, so I’m very proud of the elements of the university working on this,” said Muthwa.