No 'pass one, pass all' for North West pupils, despite Covid-19

• Pupils at North West schools will not automatically progress to the next grade because of Covid-19 interruptions. 
• Performance will be the only measure for advancement. 
• The provincial education department will implement programmes to help pupils meet criteria. 

Performance will be the only measure when it comes to progressing to the next grade at North West schools next year, Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said on Sunday. 

During a roadshow held in three North West districts to welcome the last cohort of pupils after the Covid-19 school break, Matsemela emphasised that pupils would progress to higher grades according to their performances.

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She said this to diffuse any expectations that pupils would be mass progressed.

Matsemela said the department rolled out different intervention programmes.

"All learners will be progressed to higher grades according to their performance. There will never be 'pass one, pass all'. In all our schools, teaching and learning is the order of the day. The department is going an extra mile to ensure learners get assistance. 

"We have introduced a 'dial-a-tutor' programme as an intervention programme to help learners. Schools have introduced differentiated timetables to ensure all learners receive learning and teaching. Schools have also introduced extra classes to catch up for the lost time", said Matsemela. 

Relieve tensions

To lighten the mood, Matsemela led a "Jerusalema" dance challenge for pupils to loosen them up and relieve tensions since they didn't participate in any extracurricular activities during the lockdown. The province has adopted this challenge for the remainder of the academic year to refresh pupils, department spokesperson Elias Malindi said.

So far, the MEC's roadshow has monitored the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Ngaka Modiri Molema and Bojanala districts and it is expected to visit the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district in the coming week.

Grade 12 pupils are expected to start their preliminary examinations on Monday, 14 September. The preliminaries will assist pupils to evaluate their performance, Malindi added. 

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