21 Sep 2023

Children who receive parental support perform better academically and are able to avoid pitfalls that trap their peers, Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja made the observation during kgotla meetings in Kumakwane and Gakgatla Wednesday. 

Ms Makwinja encouraged parents to frequently interact with teachers in order to monitor their children’s performance in school. 

She said it was important to keep an eye on their children to guide them against wayward behaviour, which could lead to drugs and alcohol as well as absconding from school. She added that it was evident that drugs had found their way into schools, which made it impersative for parents to protect their children by constantly searching their school bags and monitoring their behaviour. 

The assistant minister said the government was concerned by declining academic results at both primary and senior secondary school levels, and called on parents to work with teachers as well as participate in Parents-Teachers Associations’ (PTA) activities. 

She expressed concern over students’ general bad behaviour, saying those in private schools behaved better because parents were fully involved as they paid exorbitant school fees. “Imagine a parent failing to pay P300 annual school fees, which roughly is P30 per month,” she said, adding children got motivated when their parents were fully involved in their school activities.She further said villages should establish community-run pre-schools as the government did not have facilities to absorb all potential learners yet there were many unemployed Early Childhood graduates. 

Ms Makwinja disclosed that a new primary school would be built in Kumakwane adding this would ease congestion at the village’s only primary school, and hopefully lead to improved academic performance. She asked the residents of the village to propose a name for the new school. ENDS