Campaigns to be rolled out to help schoolchildren excel academically

This was said by ANC Youth League chairperson Tim Mashele, at the announcement of the provincial results last Friday, Mpumalanga News reports.

“On the whole, we are satisfied with the outcome from the class of 2017. It did well, but the onus is on us to relentlessly offer our services through campaigns that will instill the culture of teaching and learning at schools throughout the province. Our main focus as the youth league will be to ensure that learners actively participate in the programmes set out before them.

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“We welcome the outcome of the results although there has been a slight decline. We are saying that those who did not make it should go back to school and rewrite. Those who passed, we are encouraging them to make use of the available opportunities of furthering their studies at universities, TVET colleges and other avenues available to them.

“We’ve realised that as the youth league we have not been close enough to the learners, but this year we will walk along with them on this journey for the entire year. We will organise trials and holiday-study programmes during all their vacations in 2018 in order to contribute meaningfully to improving the results.

“We are also calling out to all qualifying learners to apply at tertiary institutions as president Jacob Zuma has recently announced that there is free tertiary education for those who qualify.

“In the province, we know that a majority of the learners come from disadvantaged backgrounds, therefore, we urge them to come forward if they meet the set criteria. In the same vein, we’re also calling on the private sector to offer bursaries to potential students,” said Mashele.

In response to the EFF’s call that learners should go to tertiary institutions of their choice, he said: “EFF is not realistic. They are raising populist statements. They must come in and be part of the solution.

“Whether people are paying or not paying at universities, there is no need to create disorder. In order to be accepted at a university, they must apply. Tertiary institutions are not enough for everyone, but processes must be followed. So creating this unnecessary disorder is out of the question,” Mashele concluded.

https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/wc-premier-zille-congratulates-top-matrics-at-awards-ceremony/

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