Kids fly the flag for SA

13 October 2015 - 02:02 By Taschica Pillay

A spirit of patriotism is growing among schoolchildren. The Department of Arts and Culture has been travelling South Africa promoting its Flag in Every School Campaign. The campaign involves hoisting the national flag, singing the anthem, reciting the preamble of the constitution and learning about our national symbols.Peter Mbelengwa, spokesman for Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, said the department had taken the campaign to more than 22000 schools since launching it last year in a bid to inculcate a spirit of patriotism, nation-building and social cohesion at schools.Mabudafhasi visited schools in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday to promote the campaign."Every nation has an identity. Children need to know what it is to be South African, the symbols, and everything that goes with our diversity as a nation. We want schools to teach children the etiquette of singing the national anthem," said Mbelengwa.He said the department hadencouraged schools to hoist the South African flag in the morning and take it down in the afternoon."We want pupils to sing the national anthem when they meet for assembly. We want children to engage in thought-provoking discussions on national identity," he said.Springfield Hindu Primary principal Omar Mohamed said pupils were being taught how to fold the flag."When a teacher passed away the flag was lowered to half-mast and the children were told what it symbolises and means," said Mohamed.Samukelisiwe Dladla, a Grade 7 pupil at the school, said: "I now know what the colours of the South African flag represent."Twelve-year-old Rioma Angelique Martin, a Grade 7 pupil, said by hoisting the flag every week at school she had learnt the national anthem."I am proud to be South African," said Martin...

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