NORTHERN CAPE SCHOOL CLAIMS FIRST POSITION FOR 2024 HESOP

Kimberley Technical School won the first position at the national challenge of the Heritage Education School Outreach Programme at Tsitsikamma National Park in the Eastern Cape from 23 – 27 September 2024.

This is after months of a challenging competition which started at district level to provincial level and culminated to a national weeklong camp competing against eight other teams from the various provinces.

North West province represented by Vryburg High School claimed second place followed by Mandla Mthethwa School Of Excellence in Kwazulu Natal claiming third place and lastly Hoerskool Nich Diederichs securing the fourth position.

Participants of the final HESOP competition who are assessed on a last topic which focused on Climate Change and Culture following their excursion to the Tsitsikamma Suspension Bridge and to incorporate the knowledge into their presentations.

Some of the competition metrics that the panel of adjudicators looked for when the teams presented included; time-management, research quality, presentation, communication etc.

All participants now titled as Heritage Ambassadors each received certificates with medals. First place winners from Kimberley Technical School each received a laptop, 2^nd place winners from Vryburg High School each received a tablet whilst the 3rd and 4th place winners each received a smartphone.

Dr Thabo Manetsi Chief Executive Officer of the NHC, “The commitment and dedication demonstrated by educators together with the district officials led by the Basic Education department is quite exceptional! As the NHC alone we would not be able to execute this important programme in educating our youth about matters of heritage and inculcating the culture of self-appreciation and national identity. And also our strategic partners; SANPARKS, NYDA and SAHRA who annually walk this journey with us – this clearly shows that Heritage is a shared resource. We all need to play our part in shaping our youth for sustainability of our heritage.”

The NHC has been spearheading this heritage education programme for the past 14 years which enables social cohesion where learners from all the nine provinces get to learn about each other’s cultures and tradition.

“Congratulations to each and every participant of this year’s HESOP challenge! I believe you will impart the knowledge and skills you have acquired from this programme to your families and communities,” concluded Dr Manetsi.