Thami Mngoma

Nominee's Province:
Free State

Age:
61

Project Name/Description:
Principal of Mabeoana’s “Primary School

More info:

Thami Mngoma, the principal of Mabeoana’s Primary School in Mangaung, Bloemfontein, has made it his mission to ensure that his school has a reputation for excellence in all the programmes it offers and participates in. From soccer teams that are loathed for 12-2 thrashings, to choirs that hog the spotlight, Mngoma wants his pupils, teachers and now education assistants and general school assistants to be highly sought after wherever they go. “We are a school that prides itself in the fact that when we participate in any programme, we do our best. Even with the PYEI [Presidential Youth Employment Initiative], I tell our learners, parents, educators, support staff and the AEs and GSAs that when we perform well, our circuit, which is the heartbeat of Motheo district, also performs well,” he says. The school falls under the Motheo district, which together with Xhariep, Lejwe, Thabo Mofutsanyana and Fezile Dabi make up the province’s five education districts. “I tell them that our circuit is the pulse of the Motheo district, if our heartbeat is not okay, Free State will not be okay.” The 61-year-old Mngoma says the school, which has 603 pupils, has benefited greatly from the assistance offered by 12 AEs and five GSAs. The appointment of the youth in the school has been a game-changer. “As a principal, I don’t have to stress, even when I get a notice that one of teachers is not feeling well, I know there is an EA that will ensure that learning is not interrupted.” Mngoma, who trained as a secondary school teacher, arrived at the school in 1995 as deputy principal. He was appointed principal in 2007. “In my career as teacher in secondary schools, I was frustrated by the fact that many children did not grasp basic concepts in maths and science that were supposed to have been taught in primary school. I jumped at the opportunity to make a difference in building a strong foundation for maths, science and reading. He says he follows his pupils’ performance when they go to secondary school. “Last year, one of our former learners was in the top 10 in the Motheo district.”