MyPE

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Business Supporting the Eastern Cape Class of 2011

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Rural schools in South Africa’s poorest province, the Eastern Cape, will once again benefit from a focused school preparedness programme at the start of the 2011 school year.  For the eleventh year in a row, Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has sponsored the Department of Education with 12 Mitsubishi Triton 4×2 off-road bakkies as they travel to communities in areas of the Eastern Cape where road conditions are generally very poor. MBSA manufactures the Triton bakkie at its East London manufacturing plant.

Officials from the Department of Education will set off on an eight-day itinerary, following the Triton handover on January 17, to conduct random visits to some of the province’s least accessible schools. They will monitor the start-up process for the new academic year at schools in 23 districts, and note challenges that need to be overcome for these schools to achieve the results expected of them by the Ministry of Basic Education’s Action Plan to 2014.

The programme runs across the entire Eastern Cape Province, where the 2010 matric pass rate showed a 7% improvement from the previous year. “The Department of Education hopes that this endeavour, along with various other strategies planned for 2011, will continue building on the improved quality of education in the province,” says Chief Director for Institutional Management, Development and Support, Nosipho Skenjana, who was on hand to receive the vehicles from MBSA on behalf of the Department.

Education remains a top priority for both the public and private sector as the prosperity of the SA nation depends directly on the calibre of the future workforce. Matric pass rates gained momentum, with the 2010 results showing an improvement over recent years. However, education authorities such as the SA Democratic Teachers Union believe that key factors such as the rural-urban divide as well as uneven support and management of schools still needs to be addressed.

“Mercedes-Benz South Africa draws its workforce largely from the Eastern Cape”, says MBSA Human Resources divisional manager, Goodman Lucwaba. “The standard of learners exiting the school system in this province is thus of great interest to us. We continue to do everything in our power to assist government in delivering a well- educated and skilled labour force which is relevant to the needs of industry.”

Education Tritons
Goodman Lucwaba, Mercedes-Benz South Africa divisional manager: Human Resources hands over the keys to a Mitsubishi Triton to a representative of the Eastern Cape Department of Education, Chief Director for Institutional Management, Development and Support, Nosipho Skenjana, as some of her colleagues involved in the schools start-up programme look on.
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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.