By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
9 July 2025- The North West Department of Education said it has rolled out its flagship Winter Camps Programme for Grade 12 learners across the province from 27 June 2025. The department said a total of 124 camps have been established catering to 31,159 learners.
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi said camps are designed to assist learners in revising critical subject content and bridging learning gaps ahead of the final examinations. Motsumi said these camps operate in two formats, residential and walk-in.
“So, 112 centres are residential and provide full-day academic support with overnight accommodation, while 12 centres function as walk-in camps, where learners return home after lessons.
“To ensure learner safety and wellbeing, schools have proactively engaged nearby clinics and hospitals to provide emergency support services during the camp period,” she said.
She further said her department is committed to improve matric outcomes. Motsumi added that, camps are more than just revision.
“They are a critical intervention to ensure that no learner is left behind. We do this with the door purpose of closing learning gaps and building confidence before year-end exams.
“We applaud all our educators and support teams who are working tirelessly during the winter break,” said Motsumi.
Adding to Motsumi’s expression, the recently appointed Superintendent-General of the Department, Lengane Bogatsu, highlighted the importance of intensified learner support initiatives.
“As I mentioned in my introductory speech, one of my key focus areas as I assume office is to intensify the department’s learner support mechanisms. Winter camps are a vital tool in improving results. They offer learners the opportunity to engage meaningfully with subject content in a focused environment, away from distractions. This is the kind of academic discipline we want to nurture,” said Bogatsu.
Meanwhile, the camps will run until 18 July 2025 and the department said it takes this time to encourage parents, communities, and school management teams to continue supporting learners throughout the programme.
The Guardian 