YOUR MAJESTY THE INDLOVUKAZI,
EMAKHOSIKATI,
YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESSES,
PRIME MINISTER,
MASTER VENERABLE HUI LI FOUNDER OF AMITOFO,
COUNCILLORS,
CHIEFS,
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,
CHIEF JUSTICE,
CABINET MINISTERS,
TAIWANESE AMBASSADOR,
EXCELLENCIES, MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,
PRESIDING OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT,
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE SHISELWENI REGION,
AMITOFO CARE CENTRE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
SIYANIVUSELA NONKHE BEKUNENE LAPHA E-AMITOFO.
INTRODUCTION
WE ARE HAPPY TO BE AT AMITOFO CARE CENTRE TODAY TO OFFICIALLY OPEN A NEW BLOCK FOR THE YUAN TONG PRIMARY SCHOOL WHICH COMES JUST A FEW YEARS AFTER WE WERE HERE TO COMMISSION THIS INSTITUTION.
WE WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS OCCASION, PARTICULARLY OUR GUESTS FROM OUTSIDE OUR BORDERS.
FRUITS OF INDEPENDENCE
OUR GATHERING HERE TODAY IS PRECEDED BY OUR 48TH INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY WHICH WAS YESTERDAY. AS WE REFLECT ON OUR ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 1968, IT BECOMES IMPORTANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE OF ESWATINI FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT WE SEE TODAY.
WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT OUR PREDECESSORS WHO FOUGHT HARD FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE WOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE ATTAINED AS A COUNTRY IN TERMS OF ROADS, SCHOOLS, CLINICS, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY TO MENTION BUT A FEW.
AS WE APPRECIATE OUR MILESTONES, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUPPORT FROM THE IMPORTANT FRIENDSHIPS AND TIES WE HAVE ESTABLISHED ALONG THE WAY WITH MANY COUNTRIES ACROSS THE GLOBE.
THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON TAIWAN IS ONE OF THE VERY IMPORTANT BILATERAL PARTNERS THAT HAVE PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN OUR DEVELOPMENT. OUR RELATIONSHIP DATES BACK TO 1968 WHICH MAKES IT ONE OF THE OLDEST.
OUR PRESENCE HERE TODAY IS TESTIMONY TO THIS RELATIONSHIP AND WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL TO MASTER LI FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY THE VULNERABLE ONES, THROUGH THE SCHOOL WE SEE TODAY.
MR. AMBASSADOR, YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANY OTHER SECTORS SUCH AS AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, RURAL ELECTRIFICATION OF HOMES AND SCHOOLS, ICT, AS WELL AS IN ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES. WE TRULY APPRECIATE THIS PRICELESS SUPPORT.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHOOL
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, IT IS NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT THIS CENTRE OPENED ITS DOORS TO A SMALL NUMBER OF PUPILS AND A FEW TEACHERS.
BEFORE COMING HERE I DO RECALL THE VISIT BY MASTER WHO CAME TO SHARE PLANS OF BUILDING THIS PRIMARY SCHOOL AND EXPANSION OF THE CENTRE. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ONE OF THE PUPILS WHO TRANSLATED OUR CONVERSATION FROM CHINESE TO SISWATI FLUENTLY.
WE WERE HIGHLY IMPRESSED BY THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION GIVEN TO OUR YOUNG PUPILS. THIS DISPLAYED THE HIGH STANDARD THAT THE SCHOOL PROVIDES WHICH WE HOPE TO SEE REPLICATED TO OTHER REGIONS OF THE KINGDOM.
WE ARE PLEASED TO LEARN THAT THE SCHOOL HAS GROWN ITS POPULATION BY MORE THAN DOUBLE TO 148 PUPILS FROM 72 PUPILS WHEN OPERATIONS BEGAN IN 2013.
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED THAT THE EXPANSION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE HERE AT AMITOFO – THE BUILDING OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL AND THE CHURCH CENTRE IS VALUED AT E14 MILLION. IT IS ALSO GRATIFYING TO LEARN THAT MOST OF OUR PEOPLE WERE EMPLOYED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FACILITY WHICH TOOK ONLY 30 MONTHS TO BUILD.
IT IS ALSO ENCOURAGING THAT THE SCHOOL NOW HAS 10 PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS FROM THE FOUR TEACHERS IT BEGAN WITH WHO TEACH THE LOCAL CURRICULUM TO HELP PUPILS SUCCESSFULLY WRITE THE SWAZILAND PRIMARY SCHOOL EXAMINATION.
WE BELIEVE THAT A SCHOOL WHICH CATERS FOR ALL LEARNERS SUCH AS THIS ONE IS A TREND SETTER FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
IT HAS FACILITIES FOR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION, THE PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL AND NOW MOVING TO SECONDARY SCHOOL.
THIS MEANS THAT LEARNERS FROM THIS SCHOOL WILL NOT BE FRUSTRATED BY HAVING TO LOOK FOR SPACES SINCE THIS SCHOOL WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM WITHIN THE SAME PREMISES. THIS FORESIGHT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT THE INSTITUTION HAS CONSTRUCTED A STATE OF THE ART FACILITY WHICH MEETS FIRST WORLD STANDARDS. IN ADDITION, THE CURRICULUM ALSO INCORPORATES INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR LEARNERS.
WE ARE PLEASED THAT IT ALSO ENCOURAGES LEARNERS TO BE CREATIVE WITH THEIR HANDS. THIS IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
BLENDING OF CULTURES
YUAN TONG HAS ALSO INCORPORATED MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION. THIS INDICATES TO THE WHOLE WORLD THAT THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI EMBRACES OTHER PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR CULTURE AND CREED.
WE APPRECIATE AMITOFO FOR PROVIDING LEARNERS WITH AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE AS WELL AS FOR PROVIDING THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN BASIC MORALITY AND LIFE SKILLS.
THE EMPHASIS ON CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ALSO ENSURES THAT THE LEARNERS ARE BROUGHT UP WITH A STRONG HEALTHY MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL DISPOSITION.
ACKNOWLEDGE INDLOVUKAZI
IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THE LEARNERS FROM THIS PROGRAMME WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE SHINING EXAMPLES THAT THEY ARE AS THEY MOVE TO THE SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.
THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN ENSURING THAT LESWATINI HAS A WELL-EDUCATED CITIZENRY IN LINE WITH VISION 2022.
ALL THIS HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GREAT VISION OF HER MAJESTY, THE INDLOVUKAZI, THE PATRON OF PHILANI MASWATI.
WE EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE FORESIGHT IN HAVING THIS SCHOOL IN THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI.
INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION
WHAT MAKES TODAY’S EVENT A VERY SIGNIFICANT ONE IS THAT IT AFFORDS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE ROLE THAT EDUCATION PLAYS IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF NOT JUST OUR COUNTRY, BUT THE WORLD AT LARGE.
LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO GUIDING THEIR COUNTRIES TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL NUMBER FOUR.
THIS GOAL ADVOCATES FOR INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION AND PROMOTING LIFE-LONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.
IT SEEKS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF YOUTHS AND ADULTS WITH RELEVANT SKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENT, AND ACHIEVE EQUAL ACCESS FOR MEN AND WOMEN TO UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.
WE ARE PLEASED TO SEE THAT AMITOFO CARE CENTRE IS LIVING UP TO THIS OBJECTIVE.
SUCCESS OF FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION
AS A COUNTRY, OUR FOCUS NOW IS ON PROVIDING INCLUSIVE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT INVOLVES ENSURING THE SCHOOL CHILDREN DON’T GO HUNGRY AND IMPROVING SANITATION IN SCHOOLS.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON IMPROVED QUALITY OF TEACHING AND ADEQUATE PROVISION OF LEARNING MATERIALS.
WE APPEAL TO VARIOUS SECTORS OF SOCIETY TO WORK WITH GOVERNMENT IN ACHIEVING THIS GOAL, PARTICULARLY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
CONCLUSION
TO ALL OUR SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN, AS YOU PREPARE TO GO BACK TO CLASS NEXT WEEK, WE WISH YOU ALL THE SUCCESS IN THE FINAL LAP OF THE YEAR.
WE URGE YOU TO DEFY ALL THE ODDS AND AIM FOR THE STARS SO THAT IF YOU DON’T HIT THE TARGET, YOU AT LEAST FALL NOT FAR FROM IT.
HOWEVER, YOUR MOTTO MUST ALWAYS BE; “ONLY THE BEST WILL DO.”
MAY WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE PREPARATIONS FOR THIS EVENT FOR A JOB WELL DONE. WE HAVE ENJOYED ALL THE SPLENDID PERFORMANCES RENDERED HERE TODAY.
DECLARATION
IT IS NOW MY SINGULAR HONOUR TO DECLARE THE NEW SCHOOL BLOCK FOR YUAN TONG PRIMARY SCHOOL OFFICIALLY OPENED UNDER MY NAME.
I THANK YOU. MAY GOD BLESS US ALL.