Members of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature have praised the Umkhanyakude District for its remarkable turnaround - rising from the worst-performing education district to one of South Africa’s top performing regions in the matric exams.
The Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) urged the district to share best practice on achieving excellent matric results with other districts.
Speaking during the first visit to Umkhanyakude since the district was announced as the top-performing district, the members described the region’s meteoric rise as a remarkable achievement that should be emulated.
UMkhanyakude achieved an overall matric pass rate of 92.8%.
“Not so long ago, this district was number 75 out of 75 districts in the country. Today it is number three in the entire country, and it is also number one in the province. This shows that the district has a well-oiled strategy which is producing handsome dividends,” MPL Celiwe Madlopha said.
She said the legislature had contributed immensely to KwaZulu-Natal’s stellar education performance by providing effective oversight and identifying barriers to effective learning and teaching.
“Members of the legislature are visiting four schools in Umkhanyakude District today and tomorrow as part of the legislature’s School Functionality Monitoring Programme (SFMP). We are, among other things, monitoring infrastructure challenges that our schools face, the delivery of learner support material, the start of lessons, safety and security.
“The SFMP is our flagship programme that has helped to resolve many challenges in our schools. We appreciate the support we continue to receive from the provincial Executive and the schools governing bodies as we play our oversight role,” Madlopha said.
A comprehensive report will be compiled after the school visits and will be presented in the House for adoption and implementation. – SAnews.gov.za
