BUSHBUCKRIDGE- As the 2025 academic year commenced, the MEC for Health, Sasekani Manzini, visited Magabotse Secondary School to engage with teachers and learners.
This school situated in the rural area of Maviljan Village, is grappling with numerous socio-economic challenges, including crime, poverty, and child-headed households.
MEC Manzini offered encouraging words to the grade 12 students who have just begun their final year of high school. She also donated shoes to some students to ensure they have the necessary items for their well-being.
‘’We chose this school to check on readiness and as each day counts and we plan to visit more schools even outside this constituency,” Manzini said.
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The school achieved a 76.6% pass rate in the 2024 Matric Results, representing a decrease of 0.1% from the previous year’s results in 2023.
The MEC also emphasized that the government is implementing strategies to provide essential support to learners and enhance academic performance, especially in rural areas.
‘’We are going to have cluster approach in as far as raising a child is concerned because we believe that to raise a child and the performance of a learner takes a lot.
if a child is raped at home no matter how the teachers can teach, when the child goes back home and he or she is abused there is no way he child can perform’’ Manzini added.
Principal, Alfred Maseleme outlined that despite the challenges observed which led to the results decline, they are grateful of the government’s intervention in ensuring that learners are supported.
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‘’I hope as a school we will be encouraged to work very hard because last year of course we achieved 76.7%, we are not happy because our target was 85%, so hoping that her visit will boost our morale to work very hard so that this year nomakanjani we need to go above 85%’’, Maseleme elaborated.
Parents shared their joy regarding the MEC’s visit, suggesting that such visits should happen regularly to maintain high motivation among teachers and students. Philip Mashego mentioned that these visits will help reduce the burden on both parents and teachers.
