Shortfalls linked to poor learning in Limpopo

Under the theme, ‘Moving Limpopo towards educational excellence,’ Provincial Government hosted an education indaba last Thursday, addressing among others key challenges fueling the provincial decline in the National Senior Certificate Examination performance.

Among delegates who attended the event led by Premier Chupu Mathabatha, were MECs, mayors, heads of departments, directorgenerals, education experts and various stakeholders in the sector.

“During the recent state of the province address, I committed to hosting this lekgotla as it is in our common interest as society that we confront the challenges that prevail in our education sector. The lekgotla is also an approach towards the attainment of socioeconomic transformation,” he said.

Areas in which major shortfalls exist include and which have the greatest impact on learning performance were identified as the recruitment, deployment and utilisation of teachers, the implementation of structural leadership, support systems and resources of districts, circuits and schools, the provision of learner support services, implementation of assessment policies and practices, the lack of human resources to monitor and support schools, the poor utilisation of data, and the lack of exploration of the virtual teaching space.

In the spirit of achieving quality learning, HOD Khathutshelo Onica Dederen proposed the implementation of e-learning from foundation phase to FET, aligning better teacher-provision fit, the monitoring of promotions and progression effectively and accountability sessions with underperforming schools’ principals, among others.

Mathabatha said as Provincial Government, it is important to build a system that will run on its own with no excuses for learners not to receive quality education.