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Media Release

26 March, 2010

Easter holiday programmes

Statement by Donald Grant, Minister of Education in the Western Cape

As part of our plan to increase the number of learners passing Grade 12, the WCED will be initiating a number of tutorial programmes throughout the province in the second term.

The tutoring programme aims to increase the pass rate in high enrolment subjects with high failure rates. After analyzing the 2009 results, we have identified a number of subjects that deserve special attention. These are Mathematics, Physical Science, Geography, Life Sciences, Accounting and Economics.

This programme will start first in the metro south district over the Autumn vacaction from the 29th of March to the 1st of April. Twenty-two schools in metro south will be offering tutorial sessions for Grade 12 learners in subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Geography and Accounting.

The tutors were selected based on the following criteria: Tutors could not teach learners from their own schools, they had to have taught the subject for at least 3 years at Grade 12 level, and had to have a successful track record in both the pass rate and quality of passes in that particular subject.

FET Curriculum Advisors, Circuit team Managers and their teams will be assigned to a tutorial venue to act as monitors for the tutorial sessions.

Each tutor will receive a total of 40 answer series booklets to be used in their sessions. These books must be retained by the tutors for use in all sessions. Tutors will give these booklets to learners who attended all sessions at the last tutorial session.

Various high schools throughout the province will also be holding “autumn school” sessions for Grade 12 learners.

In terms of school safety, Safe Schools have put in place 24 hour security patrols at various schools during the holiday period.

Schools must also ensure that their alarm systems are in a working condition and that they test whether their armed response companies would respond should their alarms be activated.

We are also calling on the community to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behavior at our schools during this period.

In terms of holiday activities the WCED’s Safe Schools Division have arranged a number of holiday programmes at specific schools.

These include activities such as netball, soccer and rugby coaching, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy prorgammes, leadership skills development, anger management, career exhibitions and first aid and fire fighting awareness. These programmes will take place at various schools in the first week of the holidays.

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or brcasey@pgwc.gov.za.


Issued by:
Bronagh Casey
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the Minister of Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2377
Fax: 021 425 5689

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za


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