By BAKANG MOKOTO
North West MEC for Education, Wendy Matsemela visited various schools in rural areas in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District to monitor schools readiness ahead of reopening on the 15 February 2021.
On Tuesday, Matsemela visited Phenyo Botlhe Secondary School near Groot Marico and a mega farm school, Nietverdiend Combined.
“The visit was to ensure that schools are compliant towards Covid-19 protocols. Today, I am doing unannounced visits to schools to monitor the conditions of our schools.
“Whenever I visit at any school, I want to make sure that the necessary health and safety protocols of COVID-19 are being followed. We have trained the Compliance Officers on COVID–19 protocols and I am monitoring them if they are aware of their responsibilities,” she said.
Matsemela added that she does not want her department to be found unprepared when schools resume. She further said she has informed the district directors to ensure that learner admission is concluded when learners resume school too.
“I want teaching and learning to start immediately on the first day. I have concluded my monitoring of school readiness at Mathews Mangope Secondary School at Shupingstad village near the Gaborone Border.
“I have decided to visit this agricultural focused school and I am very happy that learners are given a chance to do the practical work at the garden. This is one of the schools which are able to give us 100% pass in the matric results even though they are in the rural area,” said Matsemela.
This year, I want the agricultural focused schools to emphasise on exposing learners to practical work, said Matsemela. She further said the country needs individuals who will be able to produce food for the millions of people.
“During my unannounced visits to schools, I emphasised that I am responsible for all schools in the province and I will not be selective to any area. So, I want to emphasise that I will visit any school in this province no matter whether the school is in a rural or urban area.
“Rustenburg in Bojanala district has many schools and the results of these schools are able to boost the results of the province. Therefore, I will continue to support all schools irrespective of their location in this province,” she said.
Matsemela encapsulated that her department has employed Education Assistants and General Assistants to support teaching and learning at school.
The Guardian 