Joburg - The Department of Education in North West (NW) through the Learner Attainment Improvement Plan (LAIP) has started hosting the autumn camps for the class of 2023 with the aim to prepare and provide necessary measures for learners to mediate the learning losses encountered during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The aim of the autumn classes is to strengthen learning and teaching sessions. The NW class of 2022 obtained a 79.8% pass rate, which was 1.6% up from 2021.
The NW Education MEC, Viola Motsumi, said the camps were much-needed for the 2023 cohort as they were much affected by the Covid-19 academic year disruptions.
“I am pleased with these thorough preparations for our class of 2023. This current class was seriously affected by the rotation of contact lessons and content trimming in Grade 9 in 2020 and when they were in Grade 10 in 2021. Therefore, it is needed of us to do more justice by capacitating them as much as we can.
“I appreciate parents for releasing their children to us during this recess; as well as teachers for sacrificing their holidays for the benefit of our learners. We are confident this will bear much fruit at the end of the year,” Motsumi said.
The department said the camps were arranged to cater to 26 903 learners in 95 venues across the province who were from a range of vulnerable schools such as under-performing schools, schools presenting their Grade 12, schools with high enrolment of progressed learners, and those with chronic subject under-performance.
“Out of the 95 venues set aside for camps, 68 will be residential, 25 are catered for walk-ins, and two will be hybrids, catering for both residential and walk-ins,” it said.
The camps are expected to run from March 24 to April 4 wherein 1 552 best-performing teachers from schools across the province are recruited from performing schools to offer best practices and to prepare learners to improve their performance.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
Current Affairs