The Gauteng department of education has launched the 29th school of specialisation, this time in Kempton Park on the East Rand. Rhodesfield Technical High School outside OR Tambo International Airport has been relaunched as a school of specialisation.

African-based global aerospace and defence company Paramount Group donated a Mirage V airframe  to mark the official launch of the  school which will now focus on aviation, engineering and maths. The school curriculum will focus on core subjects and courses of specialisation linked to aeronautical and industrial engineering.

These learning opportunities will be provided through extended class times and after-school programmes. Rhodesfield pupils also demonstrated an airplane that they built themselves. One of the  pupils, Nomsa Mboneli, spoke about what it takes to build an aircraft. 

"I am truly honoured to say that we were selected for the Molo Africa project to build an airplane from scratch. That plane will take flight from Cape Town to Cairo (Egypt)  in December and it will be flown by teenagers from this school," Mboneli said.

Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said the department is bringing new opportunities to Rhodesfield. "We are planting the seed of aviation because we want you to contribute to the economy of the country," Lesufi said.

Lesufi said the budget of RDP houses must go down while the budget for education should go up so that no pupil from this generation will queue for RDP houses. He added that Gauteng will be the first province in the country to launch a school of maritime studies in two months' time. 

"Ocean economy is growing, and because we (in Gauteng) don't have an ocean we will covert Vaal River into an ocean," Lesufi said.