The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department has stated it’s readiness to welcome 2.8-million pupils for the 2020 academic year which begins Wednesday, saying the over 100 schools damaged by violent storms will be operational.
“We want to state upfront that the province of KwaZulu-Natal is ready for the 2020 academic year,” declared Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu presenting the province’s state of readiness at Sivananda High School in KwaMashu, north of Durban Monday.
Mshengu said although the department was still on a high from the 5.1 percentage point increase in the national senior certificate (NSC) pass rate, they would not allow this to distract them from improving in 2020.
“As we alluded to during the presentation of the matric results, while it is tempting to wallow in self-congratulations at this glorious achievement for long, we in the province of KwaZulu-Natal will not allow that, for it can lead us into a state of complacency,” he said.
Contingency plans have also been made for the 144 schools that were damaged during the April and November 2019 storms.
“We want to announce that we have put in place contingency measures to ensure that by January 15, all schools that were damaged by violent storms are operational,” said Mshengu.
“The department has made arrangements to supply mobile classrooms. Procurement processes are at an advanced stage to provide material to rebuild the damaged schools.”
Mshengu added that all textbooks and teacher support material had been delivered to schools.
The province, which last year had most matrics sitting for the exams, is home to 6,000 schools and has 86,000 teachers.
