Sinenjongo High School

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

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

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.

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.

Academic results

From 2010 the school has obtained a high pass rate and has been graduating students who matriculate to a university level.

Extramural participation

Other programme participation

Free access to Wikipedia

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. 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.

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.

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 June 16 "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.

On February 14, 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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"