Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School The School That Oracle Built

In 2001 Sergio Giacoletto (Executive Vice President EMEA) had a meeting with South African president Thabo Mbeki.

The talk was on how ICT companies could participate in some of the key government initiatives and how they could help achieve the milestones set for the country.

On the 7th March 2007 Oracle South Africa, in conjunction with the Gauteng Education Department, officially announced the establishment of the Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School in Kaalfontein, Midrand.

Equipped with the latest in e-schools technology and enjoying the active involvement of Oracle staff members in its running, Ponelopele is designed to uplift and provide a sustainable education institute to the local community.

The school, close to Oracle's head office, offers more than 1,300 learners from the community the opportunity to develop to their full potential based on the facilities of a formal, well-built school with many amenities. The project
has also created opportunities for unemployed people from the community who were contracted to help build the school. Part of the reason for positioning the school close to Oracle’s offices is so that Oracle staff members can be directly involved with the running of the institution.

Oracle employees are highly educated, motivated, and passionate individuals who are willing to volunteer and assist the school wherever possible. By investing in education, Oracle is ensuring that future generations of South
Africans can have the same education, motivation, and passion.

The only secondary school in the area, Ponelopele features 24 classrooms, science and biology laboratories, a library, a cooking room and a needlework room. Students also have use of two dedicated computer rooms and a school hall with a stage.

To provide easy access for physically disabled students, the computer labs at the Ponelopele School are also optimally placed, with one upstairs and another downstairs. The school also provides services to the community. An example of this is the school hall, which is fenced off as a separate building with its own catering wing, stage and ablution facilities that can be rented out for community events and generate income for the school. The Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School is highly regarded as an inspirational example of co-operation between Oracle and local government.

In April 2007, Ian Smith, senior vice-president of the Oracle UK region, handed over a cheque for R42,434 to the school. “Ploughing back into education is part of the culture of our company. We want employees to be actively involved in projects aimed at uplifting the community.”

Please click here to view the invitation, the launch programme and the fact sheet.

View the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and Oracle's Committment to Transformation Brochure.