Authored by: Captain SA | SA Rainbow News | 21st May 2026
Lebogang Maile, together with his departmental leadership, committee members, and Cabinet delegation, continued the province-wide “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child Community Outreach Programme” on 21 May 2026 with a major stakeholder engagement held at Tlamatlama Primary School in Tembisa, Kempton Park. The programme forms part of the Gauteng Department’s broader mission to strengthen collaboration between government, schools, and communities in addressing educational and social challenges affecting learners and young people across Gauteng’s 15 districts.
#ItTakesAVillage #ThutPeleEducationFirst #GautengEducation #CommunityOutreach
The engagement brought together various community stakeholders including youth formations, taxi associations, churches and religious leaders, Councillors, School Governing Bodies (SGBs), community forums, sporting formations, civic organisations, and other community leadership structures that play a critical role in the education sector. The gathering created an important platform for open dialogue between government leadership and the local community on issues affecting schools, youth development, sports, safety, and social wellbeing.
#CommunityDevelopment #EducationMatters #YouthEmpowerment #Tembisa
Before attending the main engagement at Tlamatlama Primary School, MEC Maile and his delegation first visited Makhulong Stadium where they held discussions with the local sports committee regarding the development of sporting activities and facilities within the community. During his address at the stakeholder meeting, the MEC also revealed that while travelling through Tembisa earlier that morning, he noticed several schools operating without electricity. The situation deeply touched him and prompted an immediate intervention call for affected schools to have their electricity restored, particularly those impacted by unpaid municipal bills or internal tariff-related issues.
#SchoolsWithoutElectricity #SportsDevelopment #CommunityLeadership #EducationSupport
The meeting was well attended by Tembisa stakeholders, forums, and community representatives who were afforded an opportunity to openly share their views, concerns, and recommendations from a local community perspective. Several key issues raised during the engagement included the need to restore spiritual guidance in schools through the involvement of pastors and religious leaders to pray with learners, the strengthening of safety and security visibility within school premises, and the importance of reviving sports participation and social activities among learners as was previously practiced in communities.
#SchoolSafety #SpiritualGuidance #YouthInSports #CommunityVoices
Community members also raised concerns regarding schools accommodating undocumented foreign learners within township schools, while others appealed for greater collaboration between schools, forums, and community organisations. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of allowing local structures to partner with schools in efforts aimed at empowering learners, improving wellbeing, strengthening discipline, and addressing behavioural challenges affecting young people.
#PartnershipsForChange #CommunityUnity #LearnerSupport #StrongerTogether
Among the major concerns discussed were gangsterism in schools, declining discipline, and the alarming reality that some learners are reaching matric level without basic reading abilities. MEC Maile acknowledged the seriousness of these challenges and assured attendees that government, together with his committee and departmental leadership, would work closely with organisations, forums, and school communities to implement sustainable solutions aimed at improving learning environments and changing negative behaviours among learners.
#GangsterismInSchools #EducationChallenges #FutureGeneration #YouthDevelopment
The MEC further committed to working patiently with communities to improve conditions in schools and surrounding environments, while promising that the Department and its leadership team would return to communities to provide updates and witness progress on the ground. His message reinforced the importance of unity, collaboration, and active community participation in shaping safer and more productive environments for children and future generations.
#ItTakesAVillageToRaiseAChild #EducationFirst #BuildingCommunities #SARainbowNews
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“It Takes A Village To Raise A Child”
Thut-Pele – Education First
