Thembisa Shologu
The Gauteng Department of Education has officially launched the 28 School of Specialisation (SoS) in Commerce and Entrepreneurship.
Tembisa Secondary School has been gazetted as the first entrepreneurship school in Ekurhuleni which will mainly focus on tourism and hospitality. 
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, MEC Panayaza Lesufi said the school is part of government's efforts to create skilled labour for the economy. 
"We need education to directly contribute to economic development. With the highest number of learners dropping out, our skills base is not growing.
"We do not want to prepare our learners to be unemployed, we want to prepare future learners to be hunted and recruited by companies." 
Lesufi added that learners must get immediate experience so that our children can be relevant, productive, and contribute to the economy.
"Our schools of specialisation are performing far above ordinary schools because they have focused support, necessary investments, and assets, and they need to succeed."  
According to Growing Gauteng Together (GGT2030) action plan, the aim of having these schools is to address the skills shortages in the country's economy and expand learner opportunities post-matric so that the impact on employment is visible.
The MEC called learners to stop going to places where drugs or alcohol are readily available to them. Instead, he urged them to study hard. 
"This thing of you passing with 'madoda score' must come to an end. As matriculants you have a task, you must all pass. Stop playing around.  
The school has a simulated hotel room for practical exercises in the hospitality environment. 
Mbali Kunene and Olwethu Maseko from Katlehong Engineering School of Specialisation took part in the building of the mock hotel reception and a bedroom for their peers. 
"The challenge we had was that the paint took time to dry, so we could not install the ceiling on time. I would like to be a civil service engineer focusing on plumbing," said Maseko.
Umphakathi Development and Training donated all materials and furniture for the reception and bedroom of the hotel.
"Our main business is upscaling people to help them get into careers as opposed to just getting them a job. 
"Originally we were looking at just putting up a mock for the school but we decided that rather than a mock up, let's just do something permanent where the kids can just come and actually practice and learn how to do the installation," said Gerald Ohlson de Fine.