THE newly-appointed MEC for education, Thembi Nwendamutswu has come up with a strategy to improve the performance of learners.
Speaking during her first surprise visit to schools in Giyani, the MEC said her approach on the job was to focus on the learner.
“We can always come as teachers, managers, principals, or MEC’s, but in the centre of it all is actually the learner,” she said, urging teachers and principals to emphasise their focus on the learner, to ensure the province obtained good results at the end of the year.
“We need to commit ourselves and say we are here for the learner, everything else comes last, because if there are no learners, none of us would be here,” she added.
Asked how she would get the teachers to focus on the learners, the MEC said she would develop a model that would allow for easy and frequent interaction between her and principals.
“I will go where they are. I want us to be a winning team, and for that to happen, I need them to be part of it as much as I am. We need to understand each other in order to attain the goal of ensuring the success of the learner,” she said.
Steven Rikhotso, the principal of Hivuyeriwile High School, one of the schools Nwendamutswu visited, said he was happy and honoured to have received a surprise visit from the MEC. He said this gave them an opportunity to interact with her, and show her what their challenges were.
