Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has committed to invest more into vocational skills training and curriculum changes in the upcoming academic year.
Premier Sihle Zikalala announced “critical interventions needed to up skill the youth” that would focus on technical and entrepreneurship training that would “diversify the educational output of our system.”
Sixty new foundation phase schools would be piloting Coding and Robotics in Grades R to three, with a further 149 later in the year and two schools would also pilot coding and drones in Grades eight and nine.
Entrepreneurship education would be increased in more districts and two new technical high schools would be added to the current list of 70.
The premier also announced that the province would open the Dabulamanzi Agricultural Focus School, adding to the already existing four.
“The conditions to improve the performance of the economy are highly dependent on these changes and our educational offering must continue to equip every child with a variety of skills that provide opportunities for all,” said Zikalala.
By 2022, the Education Department also undertook to open four new schools that would implement the teaching of technical occupational subjects.
These were Damarosa in Umlazi District, Westridge in Umlazi District, Tugela Pre-Vocational in Amajuba District and Newton in UMgungundlovu District.
A further six schools in the province would pilot the technical occupational subjects.
These schools were Justice Nxumalo in Umkhanyakude District, Falaza Technical High School in Zululand District, Sihayo Technical School in Umzinyathi District, Enkomokazini Technical High School in Uthukela District, Ingwemabala Comprehensive High School in Ugu District and Singisi Technical High School in Harry Gwala District.
Zikalala announced these plans at the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations Results event held on Tuesday at the Anton Lembede School of Leadership and Innovation, in La Mercy.
Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu also announced the overall pass rate, which saw the Ugu district coming out on top with 81.7% and the lowest to Umzinyathi District with 72.6%. KZN achieved an overall pass rate of 77.6%.
“It is also worth mentioning that the province seems to be on an upward trajectory when it comes to passing Mathematics, having moved up to 51% from 47% in the previous year, said the MEC.
The MEC said more plans in the education sector would be announced at this week’s upcoming State of the Province Address (SOPA).
“It is during SOPA that we, as the Department of Education, will also receive marching orders, while also accounting for the commitments made in the previous year,” said the MEC.
The Daily News