Sinenjongo High School

Sinenjongo High School is a high school in Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton, Cape Town, South Africa.

Sinenjongo High School
Location
Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton, Cape Town, South Africa
Coordinates33°52′25.68″S 18°30′34.56″E;[1]
Information
TypePublic and paying;[2] mixed gender
MottoIsiseko senkcubeko
The foundation of development
HeadmistressMrs Khuselwa Malinga-Nopote
Staff41 teachers
Grades8–12
Enrollmentmore than 1400
HousesNo residence halls
Colour(s)Blue and grey

History

In 1993, Elda Mahlentle started a school (the Elda Mahlentle Primary School) in the informal settlement called Chuku Town, opposite the racehorse stables in Milnerton. Grades 1 to 4 were housed all in one small shack. By the end of 1994 the school had expanded up to Grade 9 and consisted of eight container classrooms. The Department of Education subsidised the school through payment of ten teachers' salaries.

In 1996 the new houses were being built in Joe Slovo and so the school moved there with 16 educators. After lengthy negotiations the school finally became a public school in 2004. Elda Mahlentle Primary School became Sinenjongo High School and Marconi Beam Primary School.

Gaining recognition
External video
Malinga Nopote – Excellence Through Trust, TEDx

Rabie Property Group has taken on Sinenjongo High School as the major beneficiary of their Corporate Social Investment Programme.[3]

Malinga Nopote was appointed as the school principal in July 2010, and spoke at TEDxCapeTownED in 2012 about the remarkable improvement in the pass rate of the school.[4][5]

The school received an award for being one of the 10 most improved schools in the Western Cape in 2012 from the Western Cape Education Department.[6]

Resources
A classroom at Sinenjongo High School

In 2012, the school had:

  • 1 prefabricated science laboratory[7][8][9]
  • 1 small garden[10]
  • 2 prefabricated computer laboratories (with less than 40 working computers in total)[11]
  • More than 18 prefabricated classrooms, with 27 teachers (in addition there are 4 Maths-and-Science and 1 English teachers, hired by the private sector[12]) and more than 800 learners.[13]

In 2017 Sinenjongo moved to the new school building[14][15] which has

  • 41 Classrooms
  • 4 Science laboratories
  • A computer laboratory
  • A media centre
  • A school hall
  • A sports field

Academic results
Learners studying in Sinenjongo High School

From 2010 the school has obtained a high pass rate[16][17] and has been graduating students who matriculate to a university level, called a Bachelor pass.[18][19]

YearPass RateNumber of learnersBachelorsBachelors Rate
200827%7134%
200944%6635%
201098%44716%
201188%871922%
201295%923235%
201393%913033%
201489%1373324%
201591%1494933%
201685%1494228%
201786%1313426%
201886%1616641%
201978%1465336%

Extramural participation

Other programme participation

Free access to Wikipedia
See also: Wikipedia Zero

In 2012, the 11A grade class at the school lobbied South African cellphone network operators to provide free access to Wikipedia to assist students with research.[25][26] FNB Connect (a South African ISP) was the first to respond by offering free Wikipedia browsing during certain hours to their own clients. While this offer is not available to cellphone users, it will put more pressure on the cellphone network operators to offer the same.[27][28]

In May 2013, the school was visited by Victor Grigas and Charlene Music from the Wikimedia Foundation to shoot a documentary about the school and this campaign.[29][30][31]

External video
SA #NekNomination: Free Access to Wikipedia, (3:09), response from the MTN Group, 14 February 2014

Plus, in June 2013, national, provincial and local newspapers, published the students' letter and had articles written about it, especially on the week preceding the South African national holiday of 16 June "Youth Day". The letter has received a voice beyond its home-province, the Western Cape, to provinces like the Gauteng and the KwaZulu Natal and continues to strengthen it through the Free Access to Wikipedia from Cellphones Facebook page.[32][33]

On 14 February 2014, in response to a NekNomination challenge from Five Roses Tea, the cellphone operator MTN Group announced via a YouTube video that they would provide access to Wikipedia without data charges. A NekNomination is an internet craze that started as a drinking game, but developed into an online challenge to make a positive difference in South Africa.[34][35]

The Gr 12A learners have written a number of articles for the IsiXhosa Wikipedia. 'Ukucinezeleka kwamanina' (Oppression of Women) by Sinako Mtakati took first prize in a competition held in August 2013. In 2014 grade 11A learners joined WikiAfrica and started editing and creating articles. Nicholas Dodo, Sinoxolo Cotyi, Esethu Dudumashe, Asiya Bucwa and Sesethu Mdikane joined Lead SA in association with WikiAfrica at an Edit-a-thon.[36]

WikiReaders being used in Sinenjongo High School

In late 2013 Sinenjongo learners received more than 95 WikiReaders with mixed funds from a Wikimedia individual engagement grant[37] and an Indiegogo campaign.[38]

Yearly events

There is a Careers day for the Grade 8s and Grade 9s where people from different career fields speak to the learners and let them know about those career fields. This is done because the learners in Grade 10 have to choose subjects that they'll major in until matriculation. The other grades' pupils get included too.[39][40][41]

Annually there is an academic awards ceremony for the Grade 12 class. It is also their valedictory.[42]

A month before the valedictory, the school has a social farewell celebration for the Grade 12 class known as the "Matric Dance" or "Matric Ball"[43]

  • Old School courtyard in 2013
  • Murals at Sinenjongo
  • Class in session
  • Chess 2014
  • A Vetkoek served at the school
  • First Aid 2015
  • Sinenjongo 2014 Wikipedia competition winners
  • Ntsika 'prince Lain' Kellem, a graduate of Sinenjongo High School

References
  1. "Sinenjongo High School – South Africa". Plak.co.za. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  2. "Mediaweb: SA Journalist Network". 15 June 2013. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013.
  3. "Sinenjongo | Rabie Blog". Rabie.co.za. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  4. "Malinga Nopote – Excellence Through Trust". TEDxCapeTownED. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  5. "Excellence through trust: Malinga Nopote at TEDxCapeTownED". 18 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2013 – via YouTube.
  6. "WESTERN CAPE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE (NSC) AWARDS FOR 2012" (PDF). info.gov.za. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  7. Bronwynne Esbach (7 July 2007). "Joe Slovo pupils get to grips with science". IOL. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  8. "Community Involvement". Oldmutual.co.za. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  9. "Joe Slovo pupils get to grips with science – Post | IOL.co.za". Post. 19 February 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  10. digitalpro (9 September 2010). "Century City Takes Arbor Day To Neighbouring Community". Century City Blog. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  11. "Rotary Club helps learners in need". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  12. Michele Attwood (May–June 2012). "Century City Edits" (2). ISSUU. Retrieved 13 July 2014. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. "Sinenjongo High School -My Valedictory Speech (2011, September)". Sinenjongohighschoolvaledictory2011.blogspot.com. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  14. https://www.westerncape.gov.za/news/brand-new-r47-million-sinenjongo-high-school-nearing-completion
  15. https://www.rabie.co.za/brand-new-r47-million-sinenjongo-high-school-nearing-completion/
  16. "Sinenjongo achieves 94% pass rate". Rabie. 14 January 2013. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  17. Michelle Jones (7 January 2011). "Pass rate triples in just two years – Western Cape". IOL News. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  18. "Natasha Lassen |: A Good News Story | Bright future for Lukhanyo Velelo". Natashalassen.blogspot.com. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  19. BIANCA CAPAZORIO (7 January 2012). "Whizz-kid gets 5 As living in shack with uncle". IOL News. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  20. "Programmes". Starschools. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  21. "Legacy Partnership". BBN. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  22. "Legacy Partnership". BBN. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  23. Addison, Mike (24 April 2011). "BBN LEARNERS 2011 – Sinenjongo". BBN Addsure Sinenjongo 2011 Learners. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  24. "ASSET". Association for Educational Transformation. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  25. "South African school-goers lobby mobile operators for free Wikipedia access". Livdigital Independent News. 12 December 2012. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  26. "SA learners lobby for free Wikipedia on phones". Gadget. 27 December 2012. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  27. "FNB Connect to offer free Wikipedia browsing in the evening". Telecompaper. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  28. "FNB Connect offers free wiki browsing". BusinessTech. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  29. "Tygerburger Milnerton 29 May 2013 by Tygerburger Newspaper". ISSUU. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  30. "Call for free Wikipedia for schoolkids on cellphones by Primedia Broadcasting on SoundCloud". Soundcloud.com. 7 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  31. "South African learners lobby for free mobile access to online encyclopedia". SAHA. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  34. "NekNomination leads to free mobile Wikipedia in SA". BizTechAfrica. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  35. "MTN gives free access to Wikipedia". iafrica.com. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  36. "Youth Day Wikipedia Edit-a-thon". Lead SA. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  37. "Grants:PEG/Aislinn Dewey/Distribute WikiReaders to Schools/Report". Meta. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  38. "WikiReaders 4 Kids". tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014.
  39. "School's achievements recognised.(Workplace)". highbeam.com. 13 August 2007. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014.
  40. Dozens of speakers address learners at Sinenjongo's 2012 Careers Day | Rabie Blog Archived 23 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  41. "Rabie.co.za Fifth Careers Day for Sinenjongo High School". Rabie.co.za. 11 August 2014.
  42. "Sinenjongo's Valedictory Celebrations". Rabie.co.za. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  43. "Dance spectacular for Sinenjongo". Rabie.co.za. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
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