Limpopo to close schools with 0% matric pass rate

The Limpopo department of education will this week close nine schools which obtained zero percent matric pass rates last year, in an endeavour to improve the province’s overall matric pass rate.

The schools are Roedtan Combined, Kgabedi, Makobateng, Makama, Kanama, Manawe, Mokhulwane, Matsebe and Mahlaba secondary schools.

Five of the schools are from the Sekhukhune region, while the remaining four come from Capricorn and Waterberg regions.

The schools had enrolled a combined total of 65 pupils last year. The poor performance of the schools, according to the department, was due to the low enrolment of pupils, which resulted in their dismal performance.

During an exclusive interview with The Citizen yesterday, MEC for education Polley Boshielo said: “We have been appealing to our communities to work with the department on the rationalisation of schools with (low) enrolments so they effectively merged with other schools. This process was poised to be done to advance quality education and not for personal and sentimental purposes, as it was often misunderstood.”

She said the small schools have proven to be costly to the system and unsustainable, while consistently failing to produce the desired pass rate.

The department has decided to merge the affected schools with those with good enrolment figures.

Boshielo said as schools open their doors, the nine listed schools’ pupils and teachers would be transferred to neighbouring schools.

“We are at an advanced stage to complete the process of providing the pupils and teachers with transport. This is to ensure that all get proper transport to and from their new schools as they take a journey to better their lives through the quality education they deserve,” she said.

“Our focus this year will also include improving support on Grade R to 9 in an effort to ensure they attain fundamental competencies such as reading, writing an enumerating. The latter are basic skills required for further learning in higher grades.”

In 2014, Limpopo achieved a 72.9% pass rate and the performance declined to 65.9% in 2015. In 2016, the performance declined further to 62.5%.

But the class of 2019 produced a 73.2% matric pass rate.

– news@citizen.co.za

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