




Basic education minister Angie Motshekga said the department was going to “prioritise rural schools” in its programmes.
She was speaking at the National Education Excellence Awards at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Friday, where the department was acknowledging and honouring districts under the theme, “recognising excellence in districts and schools” for their dedication to education.
Principals and teachers from around the country were presented with awards for outstanding work, for what Phillip Tshabalala, director for district coordination, monitoring and support said were for improved learner performance (i.e. bachelor passes obtained) and leadership excellence (programmes of support and implementation of policy).
Prizes won were trips to educational conferences in Europe, including the United Kingdom and Finland, as well as desktop printers, trophies and certificates.
Troy Martens, spokesperson for minister Motshekga said, “These awards are important because they focus on the hard work and dedication of our district directors which are an extremely important cog in education that is often overlooked and under-appreciated, yet vital to ensure the system functions.”