By Nomkhosi Khumalo
Mr Qamata was invited to be part of the Kagiso Trust, BRIDGE and UJ’s Education Conversations which was held virtually in September 2020, where he spoke on the topic of “Psychosocial impact from a principal’s perspective”.
Mr Qamata is a visionary educator who was recently honoured as the 2019 headmaster of the year. As headmaster of Nyanga High School in the Eastern Cape, he has set an ambitious vision for the school: “To be a world-class institution that competes in producing holistic and well-equipped citizens that will positively change the world.” It’s a vision that is bringing results. As headmaster of Nyanga High School in the Eastern Cape, he has consistently over the years enabled his students to achieve outstanding results. In 2019, for example, his school’s matric pass rate was a phenomenal 95.5%. The school has produced learners who have achieved the provincial Top Achievers Awards: 2018 [Avukile Nkayi] and 2019 [Lomso Dumezweni].
An important quality of Mr Qatama’s is his care and concern over his pupils. “It’s important that the teachers understand the background of all the pupils. We need to know our pupils. A pupil may not be focussing on class because of a problem at home. We take the time to find out who is at home with our learners and who assists with homework” explains Mr Qamata.
This important principle of understanding his pupils and their backgrounds is rooted in Mr Qamata’s own humble beginnings. His mother passed away when he was 2-years old and he was subsequently raised by his grandmother. The two of them had moved from Cala village to Mthatha so he could attend school at EW Pearce Junior Secondary School.
It was later when he met his father, who was an entrepreneur, that his fortunes changed for the better. He continued his studies at Bethel College and went on to do a higher diploma at the University of Transkei.
His initial intention had been to become an entrepreneur, however, after his first job of teaching at Nyanga High School in 1990, it became clear to him that education was his true passion.
This understanding of what it is like to come from a disadvantaged background is what informs Mr Qamata in his attitude towards education, “It is only education that can take a black child out of poverty”, he said in a recent interview. He went so far as to pay the UCT fees for a former learner who was struggling to secure funding.
It was during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns that this care and concern for his learners was further demonstrated. As soon as the lockdown came into effect, the school set up seven WhatsApp groups to continue learning. Mr Qamata then managed to secure a donation of R20,000 towards airtime for learners, giving each child R100 worth of airtime.
In preparation for the return of learners, Mr Qamata’s team had a strategy session to discuss and reach consensus on which steps and measures need to be taken to achieve this successfully. This included an online consultation and presentation on COVID-19 from Dr Fundile Nyati, an online medical consultant. The school management team then organised a sanitiser booth, sanitisers, thermometers and surgical masks. When the school re-opened, all 209 Grade 12 pupils had personal protective equipment (PPE) organised by the School Governing Body and were in-class learning.
However, COVID-19 infections crept up, forcing the school to temporarily close. An isolation camp was created which ultimately resulted in a 100% recovery rate. During this shut-down, the school organised for Prof Zingelwa, Head of Psychiatry at USU, Nelson Mandela Hospital and her team to assist students with psychological support in what was a stressful period.
Further support was given to matriculants who, due to the pandemic, had missed out on sporting activities, the matric dance and other regular school events. A special day of motivational talks and activities was arranged, ending with celebratory dinner.
This concern for the well-being of his students, on all levels, and particularly through the stresses and challenges of COVID-19 shows clearly that his approach of understanding and caring works and brings results.
