Matrics, You Are Important - Motshekga

The Minister of Basic Education has sent some encouragement over to the Matric Class of 2021. Her department has also given some updates when it comes to what's happening in the sector.

Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, encouraged Matrics at a Limpopo school she visited to work hard to ensure that they succeed. 

To be where you are, to be grade 12, you have made it. You are important. You've gone too far and you can't let it go now after 12 years.

- Minister Angie Motshekga

Motshekga also urged learners to respect their teachers, peers and themselves.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) released their latest DBE TV News Bulletin where they gave updates on the latest in the education sector.

Teacher Vaccines

The vaccination programme for teachers is set to commence on 23 June and is set to end on 8 July. More doses have been added which will enable more people to get their vaccine.

For Youth Month, DBE hosted a teacher appreciation dialogue.

Presidential Youth Employment Initiative

The department also spoke on employment through the presidential youth employment initiative. The initiative gave young people the opportunity to gain work experience through being school assistants while receiving a stipend.

The department is said to be pleased that more young people are wanting to become teachers with Deputy Minister, Reginah Mhaule, saying:

We used to go to school to recruit young people to tell them about the beauty of teaching as teachers themselves. Young people, for a strange reason, are choosing teaching as a career of choice and it's kids that could have done anything else.

She continued to say that with this initiative, it shouldn't be about recruiting people who are just looking for a job but rather people who are actually wanting to teach.

Teachers have said that the programme has been helpful and those who participated said that it provided them with their livelihood. Another teacher assistant said it changed her life.

Anti-Bullying Campaign

An anti-bullying campaign, lead by Mhaule, was piloted in Orange Farm. Bullying continues to be a major disruption in schools.

They hope that this will increase the consciousness of bullying and violence in schools and communities.

Mhaule said:

We are bringing the information to people that they must know that we say no to bullying. We say no to victimisation. We say no to looking down upon other children.

The Department of Social Development, the Department of Communications and the South African Police Service all form a part of this campaign.