Pretoria – Officials from the Basic Education Department will continue with their school visits today to encourage learners and communities to get into the culture of reading from the first day of school.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will visit Tswasongu Secondary School in Merafong near Johannesburg, while her deputy Enver Surty will be at Hexvallei High School and Van Cutsem Combined School, both in the Western Cape.
The department said today’s programme is in line with its flagship “Read to Lead” campaign.
“The department assesses the readiness of schools in the beginning of every school year in order to advance any form of assistance early in the year,” said the department.
It is also expected that the Minister and Deputy Minister will meet with education stakeholders including district officials and school principals.
“The visits will also focus on adherence to teaching and learning from the first day of school, encouraging school management teams to minimise disruptions and appealling to communities to refrain from using schools as bargaining tools during protests and other civil actions, as this negatively affects the education system,” said the department.
The department said all schools across the country, both inland and coastal, opened their doors of learning on Wednesday for the 2016 academic year.
Getting off to a good start
Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schafer on Wednesday visited Intshinga Primary School in Gugulethu to assess the school’s state of readiness. She has expressed satisfaction with her visit.
She said the school was ready and all teaching and learning material was delivered ahead of the school reopening to ensure that learners and teachers work from day one.
The MEC has advised parents, who are struggling to enrol their children or who have failed to enrol their children on time, to approach local district offices as soon as possible for assistance with placement.
“Each district office has identified officials who will assist parents who struggle to find a place when schools reopen.
“The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) will be on stand-by to provide assistance at schools where there are late registrations and any other last-minute tasks that need to be completed.
“I would also like to appeal to parents to take an active part in their child’s education. Children can achieve much more with supportive, interested parents. Without it, their entire futures could be compromised,” said the MEC.
She wished all learners, educators, officials and parents luck for a productive and successful year ahead.
On Wednesday, about 50 schools were visited by the provincial government on the first day of school re-opening to monitor and boost the morale of teachers and learners, said the Limpopo Education Department.
Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha and Education MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe visited Dendron High School in Capricorn, which is one of the best performing schools in the province.
The department said learning and teaching started in all 4 060 schools in the province on the day.
“Schools received learning material towards the end of last year, making all schools ready for learning and teaching from Wednesday.
“More than 15 000 grade 1 learners were admitted in different schools around the province. Last year, the province registered a total of 1 749 195 learners,” said the department.
Premier Mathabatha and MEC Kgetjepe are expected to visit Motubatse High School in Kgapane today. They will be joined by the chairperson of the Education Portfolio and the Executive Mayor of the district. The officials are expected to meet school management and address learners.
On Friday, the MEC will visit three top schools in the province, which are based in Vhembe District. The schools are Thengwe, which obtained 95.6%, Mbilwi, which obtained a 94.9% pass rate and Tshivhase, which obtained 92.6%.
Tshivhase Secondary School produced the top learner in the province, Fulufhelo Mashapha. - SAnews.gov.za
