Schools in Matabeleland North have been ordered to conduct compulsory holiday lessons for Grade 5-7 students in the province. In a statement dated 2 April and circulated within schools in the province, Provincial education director Jabulani Mpofu, instructs that schools with a pass rate of less than 30% should conduct compulsory vacation lessons in April and August.
The province is worried about the pass rates for 2019, and as such, all schools which attained 30% and below pass rates at Grade 7 public examinations in 2018 are to hold vacation school for Grades 5 to 7 learners in order to prepare them for better performance.
All teachers in the affected schools should engage in the vacation school and concentrate on the Grades 5 to 7 leaners. Your dedication and commitment to learners’ performance will contribute to high learner performance standards in the province.
Jabulani Mpofu.
It’s not yet clear how this instruction is going to be executed though. Will students be required to fork out vacation fees as is the norm? If so there is likely going to be push back from parents who normally use the holidays to gather money for the next term’s fees.
Predictably there has already been complaints from teacher’s unions.
