Westlake Primary School, which opened its doors in 2011, opened a new extension on Friday August 26.
Western Cape Education Department circuit manager André Filander called the school a “beacon of hope” in a community of some 6 500 families, where unemployment sat at about 30 percent.
Community leader Arthur Ketile said Westlake was “on a journey of building the Westlake of our dreams through education”.
He encouraged parents to continue supporting the school and encouraged them to nurture a love of learning in their families.
“The schools that are successful are schools where parents are continuously involved in teaching their children the value of education,” he said.
“If we want to encourage our children, then we ourselves must set the example.”
Principal Landie Diamond said the school was fortunate to be able to open a new extension, which had been partly funded by the Ackerman Family Foundation, when in some parts of the country children were still attending school in mud huts.
She encouraged her pupils to live up to the school’s motto and “dream big”.
“Westlake Primary School continues to develop the leaders of tomorrow,” she said.