Pretoria - Learners from Vuwani are expected to go back to school from next week Thursday.
This follows an agreement that was reached between the government and traditional leadership in Vuwani, on Friday.
“We are relieved and excited by these recent developments in Vuwani. We are grateful for all those involved in ensuring that this impasse is resolved and our learner’s right to education is fully restored,” said Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
There's been no school for almost three months in the area after a violent protest which saw the more that 20 schools burned down.
Some residents did not want their area to be incorporated into a new municipality in Malamulele.
Minister Motshekga said she will work tirelessly to move the necessary resources into the area in a bid to have education services fully restored to the learners of Vuwani and surrounding area by August 4 as per the agreement.
She said a full catch up and recovery plan has been developed and is ready to be implemented on the first day of schooling.
This will encompass after hour and weekend classes, as well as the utilisation of ICT and working through the September holidays in-order to make up for lost time.
“We have the full support of teacher unions and the National Education Collaboration Trust who have been on hand and committed to the catch-up and recovery plan for all learners,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the 1985 Grade 12 learners are progressing well with the recovery programme and are currently writing their mid-year examinations at the Makhado, Tzaneen and Seshego camps.
The learners were moved to camps for an intensive catch up programme in June.
The Minister said the examinations will continue until the end of this coming week when the learners will also return to their schools. – SAnews.gov.za
