Pinegrove School visits Maropeng

For many parents, teachers and learners, field trips to fascinating sites such as Maropeng are taken for granted. For Pinegrove School such a trip might never have happened had Maropeng not found a way to share its educational treasures with those who can’t ordinarily afford the experience.

A total of 124 Grade 7 Pinegrove learners were recently “edutained” on a day’s visit to the Cradle of Humankind, courtesy of the Cradle Education Trust, which funds visits through the Maropeng Educational Programme.

Teacher Farai Botha, who led the learners on the tour, said, “The tour guides were very good. They explained everything to the children.”

The learners explored the outside area and enjoyed the exhibition – which included a boat ride – as well as the Sterkfontein Caves.

Many of Pinegrove’s 929 pupils live in financially impoverished circumstances, and the school relies on government grants to supplement school fees that often cannot be paid. The school runs a feeding scheme to ensure that learners have enough food. Some learners live with their older siblings because both of their parents are deceased, while some live in foster care, with grandparents or in single-parent homes.

Pinegrove School strives to give the best possible education to its students, and is able to contribute to this with the help of Maropeng.