MAHIKENG MAIL – MAHIKENG - A long route to the Provincial Road Safety Schools Debate ended with TigerKloof scooping position one to represent the North West at the national level for the third time in nine years of their participation in this programme.
Two teams of six young girls from Tigerkloof in Vryburg and Tiragalo Secondary from Maquasie Hills took their counterpart competitors to task in Stilfontein.
With the debate topic: ‘The enforcement of rail freight can reduce fatalities on the South African roads,’ the four schools that were representing their respective districts from the province, took the audience by surprise with the level of preparations, research and debate qualities they displayed.
Head of Department for Community Safety and Transport Management, Dr Hans Kekana applauded the teachers in preparing learners for a great job, despite challenges they are faced with in dealing with children on a daily basis.
“Today’s teachers are facing more challenges than those in back in the day, however, they continue to produce future leaders and today’s proceedings attested to their hard work. As the Department we are not going to leave this auspicious work unnoticed and we commit to extend our invitation to all these participating learners to our continuous Thuntsha Lerole Accelerated Service Delivery Programme in their respective districts. This because, we want them to have a first-hand experience on road safety campaigns and law enforcement operations, which are programmes that they have been deliberating on, the entire debate,” said Kekana.
He said road safety remains on top of the Department’s agenda as a main objective to create safer roads and safe lives.
The Tigerkloof Secondary school represented Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Tiragalo Secondary from Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Goldview Secondary from Ngaka Modiri Molema, while Leokeng Secondary was from the Bojanala District.
Both Tigerkloof and Tiragalo Secondary schools will represent North West in Free State during the national debate competition later next month.
From the Department of Education in the Province, Dr Shadrack Mvula, said these learners are a team of confident and brilliant learners who will represent the province. He appreciated the long lasting collaboration between the Department of Education and Community Safety and Transport Management in ensuring high quality of education in the Province. “Both departments continue to demonstrate this collaboration on a yearly basis by this debate and learner transport programmes.”
The debate competition is a national initiative aimed at encouraging learners to be cognisant of road safety issues and to empower them with practical research skills.
