03 Sep 2013

Learners who fail their standard four and seven examinations will have to repeat, instead of being admitted to another level automatically.

Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said this on August 30 when addressing Leshibitse Primary School teaching staff and members of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA).

Currently, learners who failed these examinations were allowed to proceed to the next level. She said this would start immediately, which meant children who failed the standard four assessment and standard seven examinations would need to repeat and pass their classes before passing to the next level.

The minister said this was another initiative by the ministry to address the dwindling pass rate among learners as well as to inspire learners to raise their capabilities. Dr Moitoi said among other initiatives the ministry had taken was to introduce teaching aides for students with various needs.

She said the teaching aides would assist teachers to break barriers in education such as language, communication and slow learning problems among others. The minister said teaching assistants would also help reduce the huge ratios between students and teachers.

Furthermore the ministry would facilitate connection of electricity in primary schools by paying the connection fee. The ministry would also buy other equipment to support learning such as printers, photocopies and fax machines.

The minister applauded the teaching staff at Leshibitse Primary School for volunteering to conduct classes during weekends without expecting any overtime payment.

For his part, the Kgatleng regional director, Mr Sir-Wonder Masebola complained about lack of participation of parents in their children’s studies. However, Mr Masebola said this would not prevent the region from achieving its aim of being counted among the best this year.

He added that the Kgatleng region had set-up a head teachers’ advisory committee, to assess chools and give school heads feedback immediately. He added that the in the whole region, only six schools had not been electrified but that all of them schools would be electrified before the end of the year.

Leshibitse Primary School said Ms Otilia Segaetsho said her schools’ enrollment stood at 131. When the school opened for the first time in 1961 it enrolled only 10 learners. However, she noted that their pass rate has not been constant, but they aim to improve their performance hence they have started having morning and weekend lessons without demanding any form of payments.

Ms Segaetsho decried the fact that most parents in Leshibitse were not bringing children for standard one orientation, something which the minister said called for urgent attention.  ENDS