Durban - MEC for Education in KwaZulu-Natal, Kwazi Mshengu, is pleased to announce that the first day of the 2020 academic year has gone well despite minor glitches.
On Wednesday, Mshengu visited schools in various parts of the province and he noticed that pupils and educators were extremely happy to be part of a brand new academic year and were ready and motivated to get the ball rolling.
He has emphasised that admission is an ongoing exercise therefore schools should not just turn away pupils. In this regard, he has pleaded with parents to allow the department to deal with this issue with district offices.
“Our government continues to ensure that education is prioritized as one of the most important activities in the lives of our people. Importantly, we need to ensure that the education of our children becomes a societal issue that must continue to occupy the energies of all of us; not just for today when schools re-open; not just when the Grade 12 results are released – but every single day of the year,” he pointed out.
He further indicated: “The department has also ensured that we provide critical interventions as part of improving learning outcomes and promoting access and equity. The department has declared the majority of our schools No-Fee Schools, ensured the Provision of the National School Nutrition Scheme, the Pupil Transport Initiative - free LTSM, the provision of sanitary pads to deserving girl pupils, ICT infrastructure and other learning equipment. Through these interventions, we are removing the obstacles preventing access and ensuring that all children can perform at their best irrespective of their parent’s material conditions.”
We are calling on all education stakeholders to support schools and the education of our children in order to ensure stability in our schools.
He added: “We are expecting teachers to teach our children and do what is necessary to help our children achieve their dream of completing their school’s careers with good results. We must all work hard - work together, and not work against each other as stakeholders in the education sector.
“As the department, we will continue to support all our educators and our schools with every available resource at our disposal, to enable them to discharge their responsibilities more efficiently and more effectively. We wish all pupils the very best in this new academic year and call upon all stakeholders to work with us to improve the quality of education in our schools,” he concluded.