Baphokophele ukwakha izikole ezizimele emalokishini aseNingizimu Afrika njengoba sebezovula esesibili emva kokwakha esokuqala eMlaza. Bathembeni njengoba umnotho uwile? USLINDILE KHANYILE uyabika
NGONYAKA ozayo inkampani yabantu abamnyama eyakha izikole ezizimele, i-Edinvest Schools, izovula isikole sayo sesibili esizimele i-Etham College eHilton, maphakathi neKwaZulu-Natali.
Lesi sikole esizoba nendawo yokuhlala abafundi ngaphakathi sizobiza phakathi kukaR38 000 noR98 000 ngonyaka, kuye nokuthi umfundi wenza liphi ibanga nokuthi uhlala ngaphakathi yini. Lesi sikole esixube izinhlanga sizoqala ngabafundi abawu-150.
Yisikole sesibili lesi i-Edinvest Schools esivulayo, njengoba ngonyaka odlule iqophe umlando ivula isikole esizimele eMlaza, eThekwini, iCanaan College, ekhombisa ukuba nesasasa, njengoba kulo nyaka isibalo sabafundi singaphezu kwesiphindiwe kunesangonyaka odlule. Lesi sikole esigxile kakhulu ekusebenziseni ubuchwepheshe nokukhuthaza abafundi ukuthi basungule izinto ezintsha futhi baphokophele ukuqala amabhizinisi sinabafundi abawu-682 kulo nyaka; kanti ngonyaka odlule sasiqale ngabawu-290.
UNksz Sthabile Shezi oyi-chief operations officer yase-Edinvest Schools uthe bavula i-Etham College ngoba benzela abazali okukude kubona ukuthi bafundise izingane eMlaza futhi benzela nalabo abafisa ukuthi izingane zabo zihlale ngaphakathi esikoleni.
“Maphakathi nesifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natali singasho ukuthi yikomkhulu lezikole ezizimele njengoba kuyilapho izikole ezizimele ezindala nezihamba phambili zitholakala khona. Yize bezikhona izicelo kwabanye abazali ababone esikwenzayo eCanaan bakuthanda, kodwa besingenaso isiqiniseko sokuthi sizothi uma siza ngempela kulo mphakathi oxube izinhlanga samukelwe kanjani,” kusho yena.
Nakuba eCanaan College abafundi kungabantwana abamnyama bodwa kodwa bafundiswa ngothisha abaxube izinhlanga. UNksz uShezi uthe bazosebenzisa ubuchwepheshe ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izinga lemfundo liyafana kuzona zombili izikole njengoba abanye othisha bezofundisa ezikoleni zombili.
ENingizimu Afrika kunezikole eziwu-2 000 ezizimele nezinabafundi abawu-400 000. Ngokusho kwenhlangano emele lezi zikole, i-National Alliance of Independent Schools Association, u-20% wabazali uyehluleka wukukhokha imali yesikole selokhu kuhlasele iCOVID-19 ekhinyabeze umnotho.
UNksz Shezi uvumile ukuthi nabo yinselelo ababhekene nayo lena eCanaan College, lapho imali yesikole ibiza phakathi kukaR25 000 noR30 000 ngonyaka.
Kunabantu abawu-2.2 million abaphelelwe wumsebenzi ngekota yesibili onyakeni kanti umnotho wehle ngo-16.4%. Yize kunjalo i-Edinvest Schools ithi izimisele ukuthi kushaye u-2024 isinezikole eziwu-10 njengoba isazozandisa nalezo ezisemalokishini. Ngabe ithembeni?
“Indlela esenza ngayo ihlukile futhi siza nezinto ezintsha. Yebo, bakhona abantu kulabo abebeciciyela asebephumile ezikoleni ezizimele babuyela kwezikahulumeni kodwa labo abebesezikoleni ezizimele lezi eziphezulu kakhulu, lapho abantu bebekhokha khona oR100 000 kuya kuR250 000 ngonyaka, babheka ezingaphansi kwaloko nokwenza eyethu imakethe ikhule ngoba abantu manje abasenawo amandla okukhokhela lezi zikole ezizimele ezimba eqolo.
“Okunye uma ubheka izikole ezizimele zigcwala ezindaweni ezithile kuphela kanti thina sizimisele nokungena kulezo zindawo ezingekho khona kodwa esikhona isidingo sazo futhi nalapho sikholwa wukuthi sizokwazi ukuthi sibambisane nanamakolishi ethu amakhono ngoba yilokho okunye okusha esizokwenza kodwa imininingwane ngakho sizobuye siyikhiphe,” kusho uNksz uShezi.
Enye indlela abazokwenza ngayo loku wukuthi bazothenga ezinye izikole ezivalayo bese bezenza ukuthi zibize ngendlela ezohambisana nohlobo lo mzali abazama ukumheha.
Izikole zase-Edinvest zifundisa izinto ezifana nokwakha amarobhothi, ukubaluleka kokukwazi ukugada imizwa yakho ukuze ukwazi nokuzinciphisela ukhwantalala, nezifundo zamabhizinisi. Ubuchwepheshe nokukhuthaza ukuzisebenza yikona okuhamba phambili, umfundi ongenalo lolu thando lwamabhizinisi wenziwa njani?
“Into eyenza sigcizelele izifundo zamabhizinisi nokuzisebenza yingoba yinto ebingekho. Sinabafundi abamandla kwezemidlalo, abafisa ukuba ngabaculi futhi siyabaseka kodwa esikushoyo wukuthi ngisho uzoba ngumculi, kumele umculo uwubuke njengebhizinisi. Ngisho kumfundi ofisa ukuba wudokotela noma wunjiniyela, sithi thina sizokuhlomisa ngolwazi nekhono elizokwenza ukuthi uma usuqedile ukufunda uma ungathandi ukuyoqashwa kube wukuthi usuyazi ukuthi yini ozoyidinga ukuze uzimele. Ngisho kungathiwa umfundi ukhetha muphi umsebenzi, thina sifuna azi ukuthi ikhona enye indlela angaziphilisa ngayo uma eseqede ukufunda uma engawutholi umsebenzi,” kuphetha uNksz uShezi.