Pretoria – Obtaining a 100% pass rate when coming from a township school was possible and nothing to be fearful of.
These were the words of encouragement Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlement MEC Paul Mashatile to pupils at the Soshanguve East Secondary school on their first day of schools.
Mashatile urged pupils not to be disheartened that the previous year's class only managed to obtain 46% matric pass rate.
"Do not be scared or fearful you can achieve a 100% matric pass rate. Last year there were disturbances in moving learners into the new structure but this year there can be no problems.
"We don't want that performance anymore. I'm happy all matriculants this year have registered for maths," he said.
The MEC said the visits was intended to partly identify the challenges experienced by schools around Tshwane to take the information to his Education counterpart Panyaza Lesufi.
Mashatile will also distribute 200 needy students with school uniforms as part of his back to school programme.