Free State records progress in education

Friday, February 21, 2014

Pretoria - The Free State has recorded progress in improving education, by not only achieving the highest matric pass rate in 2013, but by also building 18 schools in the last five years, Premier Ace Magashule said on Friday.

Delivering the State of the Province Address on Friday, Magashule said the province had beat its own target of reaching a matric pass rate of 85% and reached an 87.4% pass rate  in 2013 - the highest pass rate in the country.

“We must acknowledge that the Free State had the highest matric pass rate in the country in 2013 and congratulate the broader education community for this excellent achievement,” said Magashule.

The number and rate of bachelor passes has also significantly increased over the past five years, from 5 987 in 2009 to 8 961 in 2013.

Additionally, the province had worked hard on the transformation of the education sector.

The provincial government has achieved permanent employment of 1069 temporary teachers within 90 days of assuming office in 2009.

A total 85.5 % of schools in the province are no fee schools which benefit 533 681 learners in the province.

Additionally, beneficiaries of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) increased from 166 304 in 2004/2005 to 438 937 in 2009.  In 2013, the figure stood at 535 028.

“The NSNP is one of the critical elements of the social security net which ensures that every learner in a no fee school receives at least one nutritious meal per day,” said Magashule, adding that currently 236 local women cooperatives were providing the meals to 481 schools in the province’s five school districts.

With regard to the expansion of Early Childhood Development (ECD) through the implementation of Grade R classes - the number increased from 1 167 in 2009/2010 to 1938 in 2013/2014, thereby giving access to ECD to about 43 286.

Eighteen ECD centres have been built with a further four centres having been renovated over the past five years.

Mud structures have also been eliminated with 185 schools having been built in the past 20 years - 18 of the schools were constructed in the last five years.

“During this term, we have also delivered infrastructure projects which included 497 additional class rooms, 45 computer centres, 33 schools halls, 22 school libraries, 13 science laboratories, Grade R classrooms in 33 schools, major renovations in 153 schools and minor renovations in a further 93 schools as well as fencing, electricity, water supply and sanitation facilities in various schools across the province,” said the premier.

Regarding bursaries, the province has increased its full time bursary allocations from only 129 in 2009 to 7521 in 2013.

“We allocated 500 new bursaries in 2014 and presently we are maintaining 4989 bursary holders.”

An internship programme was established in 2009 to prepare graduates for work readiness and absorption.  Since then, over 2000 graduates have participated in the programme. - SAnews.gov.za