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MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela welcomes eighth grade students to Barseba Village near Brits.
Northwest Official Education Department, Twitt
- Northwest school students will not automatically advance to the next grade due to Covid-19 disruptions.
- Performance will be the only measure of progress.
- The provincial education department will implement programs to help students meet the criteria.
Performance will be the only measure when it comes to advancing to the next grade in Northwest schools next year, Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said Sunday.
During a tour that took place in three northwestern districts to welcome the last group of students after the Covid-19 school holidays, Matsemela emphasized that students would progress to higher grades based on their performances.
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She said this to dispel any expectation that students would make massive progress.
Matsemela said the department implemented different intervention programs.
“All students will progress to higher grades based on their performance. There will never be ‘pass one, pass all.’ In all of our schools, teaching and learning are the order of the day. The department goes the extra mile to ensure students get help.
“We have introduced a ‘dial-to-tutor’ program as an intervention program to assist students. Schools have introduced differentiated schedules to ensure that all students receive learning and instruction. Schools have also introduced additional classes for catch up on lost time, “Matsemela said.
Relieve tensions
To lighten the mood, Matsemela led a “Jerusalema” dance challenge for the students to relax and ease tensions as they did not participate in any extracurricular activities during the confinement. The province has adopted this challenge for the remainder of the academic year to refresh students, said department spokesman Elias Malindi.
So far, the MEC roadshow has monitored Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Ngaka Modiri Molema and Bojanala districts and is expected to visit Dr Kenneth Kaunda district in the next week.
Seniors are expected to begin their Preliminary Exams on Monday, September 14th. The preliminaries will help students assess their performance, Malindi added.
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