By Lungile Ntimba
Not every learner wants to or can go to university, so it is important that the education system equips them so that they can become productive members of society, according to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
The minister is on a national listening and learning tour and visited Olympia Park School in Springs, Ekurhuleni, on Friday.
Olympia Park is a school for learners with special needs. It offers a technical occupational curriculum over four years and consists of years, not grades.
“It’s very important to understand that not every child aspires to be an academic and that we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got schools of skills such as Olympia Park, which really seeks to give kids an opportunity to come and hone their skills.
“But, also, so that they may be able to go into the economy with a skill, so that they can live lives of dignity,” Gwarube said during the visit.
She said this was especially important for children with special academic needs and intellectual disabilities.
“I’m incredibly proud of this model and I’m hoping that we can see more of it and more of these interventions replicated across the country,” said Gwarube.
The minister also highlighted that when she had a meeting with various officials, that she was able to get a better understanding of the “pressure points” in the Gauteng education system.
She said there was a lot of good happening in the province in terms of academic performance.
“Of course, there are challenges that we as a department, alongside our colleagues in Treasury, need to make sure that we try and meet… [There are] demands around infrastructure to avoid overcrowding in classrooms because there is a high pressure and a high-density problem,” said Gwarube.
She added that it was not only important for the department to have a theoretical understanding of the system, but to also have a far more in-depth and practical understanding.
INSIDE EDUCATION
