SIPHOSETHU PRIMARY SCHOOL

HISTORY OF SIPHOSETHU

Principal:                  Mr Charles Sokhabase

No. of children:        864 from Grade R to Grade 7

No. of teachers:      18 (including 2 non-teaching staff)

School fees:             R70 per child (Grades 1-7) and R120 (Grade R) (as at 2009)

Vision:                        To empower and create opportunities for 

                                     educational and personal excellence.

Mission:

The school aspires to create and maintain a culture of learning and teaching, which will prepare learners to become active members of society by working together with all stakeholders and the community at large.

Brief history

The school opened in 1981 and was called ‘Bhekisisa Secondary School’.  It became Siphosethu in July 1985, and serves the disadvantaged community of Ntuzuma Township. The children who attend the school come from poverty-stricken families.  School enrolment has increased from 388 learners in 2004 (Grade R to Grade 4) to its current enrolment of 864 pupils from Grade R to Grade 7.  The rapid increase of school enrolment is due to the confidence the community has placed in the school to provide education of an excellent standard.

Due to the shortage of funds, the school still has 14 classrooms accommodating 864 learners, with an average of 64 learners per classroom!  The only other facilities are two toilet blocks and a small office.

The school is part of the feeding scheme set up by the Department of Education.  The children are fed at first break, but teachers have come to realise that for some children, that is simply not enough as many children are unable to have breakfast (their parents can’t afford it.)  The teachers themselves have set up a breakfast feeding scheme and donate their own money to buy things needed.  They are also at school at 6am to cook breakfast so that children may have something to eat before teaching starts.  This is one of the reasons why Chelsea, as a school, has decided to assist by holding a Breakfast Drive.

There is also a high number of orphans at the school, which is why the teachers have embarked on a ‘adopt a learner’ campaign to take care of all their schooling needs.

The school is involved in various projects and have embarked on various fundraising drives for financial assistance.

They have various challenges that need to be resolved and consist of the following:

1.  Class overcrowding                         6.  No school hall

2.  Security guards                                 7.  No computers or Computer Room

3.  Burglary                                               8.  No sports field

4.  No staff room                                     9.  No paved parking area

5.  No library

Chelsea’s involvement

We are involved with running a Breakfast Drive to assist teachers with their feeding scheme.  Every month, a grade is targeted to bring various donations.  These are then collected by Mr Sokhabase once a term (or more often if needed) and given to the children.

We also run a Winter Drive in the second term where we ask for parents to please donate any old winter clothes or shoes to those less fortunate.