Over 23 000 learners attend Back on Track holiday classes
3 August 2023
A total of 23 447 learners in Grade 7, 8, 10 and 12 attended #BackOnTrack and matric support classes over the holiday period in the Western Cape.
The Western Cape Education Department arranges successful winter school classes for matric learners every year. This year, 10 842 matric learners attended #BackOnTrack classes, which are targeted to the schools that need the extra support the most, and a further 7 109 learners not part of the programme attending district-based classes.
That means that nearly 18 000 matriculants have received extra academic support over the holiday period!
This is the first time we have held holiday classes for Grades 7, 8 and 10.
What the #BackOnTrack does differently is to expand support to other key grades, so that learners are already in a better academic position by the time they reach matric.
1 665 Grade 7 and 2 113 Grade 8 learners attended #BackOnTrack camps and classes over the holidays, which focused on Mathematics and Language, along with psychosocial wellbeing and life skills sessions.
Grade 10 learners participated in a unique Mathematics intervention, with 1 734 Grade 10s attending extra classes across the districts. This intervention has been designed given the performance of last year’s Grade 9s in our annual systemic tests, which showed that they need extra support in Mathematics.
Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier visited some of these Grade 10s at the University of the Western Cape, which hosted classes for the Metro South Education District. Maynier said the learners he engaged with were finding these classes extremely helpful and stated that the tutors had given them a new perspective on the material covered. “What struck me was how optimistic the learners were, and the level of commitment they were showing to the programme. I was also impressed by the commitment of their parents, some of whom travelled with the learners and accompanied them to the classes.”
Teachers also form part of this intensive Mathematics intervention. Maynier visited the 140 Grade 10 Maths teachers attended training offered by Maths experts at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI) during the holidays.
“We thank all the officials, schools, tutors and parents who made this holiday period a successful one for the learners and teachers participating in the #BackOnTrack programme! Their hard work will go a long way toward improving learning outcomes and giving our children a better future in the Western Cape!”
