Excited and grateful, that is how the founder and teachers of Emanuel Early Learning Centre in Mafikeng were feeling when Transnet SOC Ltd gave them school furniture.
Transnet, a rail, port and pipeline company, gave the school several teaching and learning materials which includes tables, chairs, lesson books and playground equipment.
Hermina Gura, the founder of the learning centre, says they are grateful for the donations as the they had been needing what was given. She explained that this is the kind of furniture, and the lesson plan books they need to use on a daily basis, adding that the donation will play a huge role in the physical and mental development of the learners. She highlighted that prior to the donation, teachers did not have the necessary equipment to prepare for class.
“Our teachers now have lesson plans that guide them on which topic to focus on and for how long. The play material that we also received is not only for entertainment but will help in developing the children’s muscles,” Gura said.
The importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) has been one of the things that the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, has stressed when addressing learners’ performance.
Motshekga said that it is important to prioritize the early stages of learning. She describes ECD as the foundation for cognitive development and the future success of learners. She said that the goal is to continue to work towards providing access to quality ECD programmes for children.
“The size of your house depends on the strength of your foundation. If you have a weak foundation, you are not going to have a big house or rise any higher,” Motshekga said.