The first day of school for the 2025 academic year went smoothly for learners, teachers and parents at the Balebogeng Primary School in Mamelodi East.
According to the school’s principal Mashadi Khoza, the school started preparing for the 2025 academic year as early as last year and that she was confident that they are fully ready to embark on their teaching responsibilities.
“The School Governing Body (SGB) made sure that the much-needed stationary and textbooks were bought on time and we made a package for every learner to receive them once they arrive at school on the first day of the academic year which is today 15 January 2025,” said Khoza.
“Our teachers are highly involved in making sure that every learner is placed in a classroom because the administrative staff has already prepared the class lists,” explained the principal.
She said they held the usual “assembly” with the learners and also managed to address the parents who were in attendance.
“The challenge we are facing now is that of parents who come now to the school seeking placement for their children,” she said.
“As the principal I can’t declare the school full as that is the duty of the head of the department of Education, but what I can do is to merely check whether by grace we can accommodate learners who are making late registrations at our school,” explained Khoza.
She said all learners have received their textbooks and stationery and that all teachers were in their classes, busy teaching.
“The teachers and the learners must first start by knowing one another and from there they will move to ‘base line,’ whereby in grade 5 especially, the teacher will assess what it is that the learners have learned previously so that they can support the learners accordingly,” she explained.
“Today it’s more like an induction, especially for grade 3s who are going into grade 4 because they will be dealing with six subjects taught by different teachers now and we want them to be settled, and we assure them that we are here for them as Balebogeng Primary School family,” said an ecstatic Khoza.
She revealed that the school conducted an “orientation” process on Tuesday 14 January for the parents of new learners in Grade R and Grade 1 and the kids have already been allocated classrooms.
Balebogeng Primary School’s capacity is 1 200 and at the moment there are about 1000 learners at the school.
There are 125 grade 1 learners at the school but according to Khoza, that number may change because there are parents who might change their minds and decide to remove their kids from the school and take them somewhere else for their education.
Granny Johanna Ramalekane told Tshwane Talks that she has two grandchildren attending Grade R and 3 at Balebogeng Primary abd that she also attended the selfsame school during her days as a child.
She said the performance if the school is good and that she is satisfied about it.
Meanwhile, Ndumiso Zulu (18) of Stanza Bopape Secondary School told Tshwane Talks that he had lots of sleepless nights regarding his Matric results, especially Maths and Physics. He plans to study either civil engineering, piloting or IT2.
Nkosinathi Malaza (19) also from Stanza Bopape Secondary School, said he managed to get a Bachelors pass but that he was not happy as he expected to obtain several distinctions.
He will be studying Information Science and Infirmation Technology.
Another Stanza Bopape Secondary School learner Sean Shange considered himself unfortunate that he couldn’t get any distinctions.
He will be studying Computer engineering and logistics and business.
Lesego Ledwaba (17) passed with two distinctions and obtained a Bachelors pass and plans to become an anaesthetics.
“It wasn’t easy, but my parents and teachers were supportive,” she said.
Footballer Banele Mashaba (18) plans to study Human Resources and also continue with her football career.
Mohau Matlou (17) will be studying drama at university as his dream is to become a Hollywood movie star and make it big internationally.
To the 2025 Matric Class Matlou gave the following advice:
“Hard-work pays always pays off and I encourage them not to give up under any circumstances whatsoever.”