- Muhammadeyah Primary School recently celebrated its 95th anniversary with a gala dinner attended by over 300 guests.
- The school, founded in 1929, has a rich history and continues to serve as a hub for community activities.
- Current principal Ebrahim Abrahams highlighted the school’s achievements and future plans.
More than 300 guests attended the Premier Eat & Treat Gala Dinner on Saturday 31 August at The Venue Aspired, formerly known as the Country Manor in Schaapkraal, to celebrate the 95th anniversary of Muhammadeyah Primary School at 103 Batts Road, Wynberg.
The school was founded by the Muslim Education Trust in 1929 and appointed Hadjie Mohammed Saleh Berdien as the first principal.
Apart from being the founding school principal, Berdien was a leading community figure. He held numerous key positions such as being the secretary of the Yusufeyah Mosque, near the Wynberg Railway station.
Likewise, the current school principal, Ebrahim Abrahams, apart from being a respected professional educationist, he is a community leader who occupies several portfolio positions in a wide range of community bodies such as being the former District Commissioner of Scouting in the Constantiaberg District; current vice chair of the Cape Muslim Vigilance Association, member of the Community Police Forum and former vice-chair of Wynberg East Civic Association, former Exco member of the Beitul Amman Old Age Home for the Aged.
Growth
Berdien started off initially with 11 pupils in two classrooms in 1929, the current school learner population is 763.
“I started at the school in April 2019 and have predecessors, viz. Berdien, Ismail Solomon, Rashard Jedaar, Sedick Gamiet, and acting principal Shaheed Salie. I took up the leadership position as the post incumbent steering the school community that is celebrating its 95th anniversary. I am ably assisted by my deputy principal Igshaan Isaacs, president of the MC Squared Cycling Club,” Abrahams says.
The school hall serves as a community meeting place for many community organisations who regularly gather at this prestigious venue.
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Organisations include the Wynberg East Civic Association, Wynberg Police Forum, Wynberg East Neighbourhood Watch, The Wynberg Concerned Citizens, the Marines Malay Choir, the Cape Flats genealogy NPO, the Cape Family Research Forum (CFRF); Saturday Madressah [weekend extra-mural Islamic religious classes] and weekend extra-mural maths tutoring classes etc.
“Many former learners are highly respected and renowned professionals locally as well as across the globe and hold prominent positions in a huge variety of careers. A selection list of notable alumni are: the late Abass Cloete; Dr Omar Esau, senior lecturer in the department of curriculum studies at Stellenbosch University, Shaykh Ismail Gqumane, Imaam Omar Slamang, Ridwaan & Layla Barron; Seraaj Jacobs; Dr Suroor Solomon, Nisaar Lillah, One Alumni group, among others, led by Muallima Qanitah Moos who met recently to raise much needed funds to upgrade facilities at the school and I am encouraging other alumni groups to do the same,” he says.
Library
The school is one of a few elementary schools that has a library. Other extra-curricular programmes and activities at the school include a sports hub, environmental club, MC Square Cycling Club, chess club, soccer club, netball club, sewing classes and karate classes where young learners are taught the art of self restraint and self defence.
” Abrahams says.
The school received several accolades in the recent past decade. In 2019 the Blue Plaque was awarded by the Simon van der Stel Foundation in honour of Muhammad Saleh Berdien, founder of the Muslim Education Trust, and the first principal of the Muhammadeyah Primary School from 1929-1939, the Habibia Primary School [1946-1996] with its 50th celebration on the occasion of the Golden Anniversary Muslim School Sports Day awarded a participant trophy to Muhammadeyah Primary School and at the Horizon Mathematics Competition the learners regularly take up top positions. The learners and computer teacher have been honoured for their online MCO Greenshoots maths programme achievements.
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“Our school prepares our young learners for the fourth industrial revolution society and aims to grow advanced IT digitally savvy citizens. A community wide call is to the IT industry professionals to offer their material assistance and to share their hands-on IT expertise in kind to improve and upgrade our computer lab and technology at the school. The school calender attends to the religious ethos of the learner population like our annual Moulood celebrations, Mass Boeka /Iftars; Mass Thikrs; Tiende Muharram Day celebrations; Akhnie day; annual graduations; orientation in preparation for Eid /Labarang Day celebrations.
“The gala dinner promises to be entertaining as well as a good opportunity to meet up with friends and classmates. Muhammadeyah aims to continue to be a school of excellence retaining its position of results ranking well above 90%. Whilst the 2029 centennial anniversary vision is to upgrade the school facilities with the expansion of more classroom space to accommodate the increasing annual demand due to learner population enrollment and the competition for learner placement at this school of excellence,” he concludes.
