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The NECT boosts education in Limpopo

The NECT boosts education in Limpopo

As part of an on-going effort to cultivate a nation of readers, the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) is donating books to schools in Limpopo, helping learners improve their reading and writing skills and ultimately their overall performance in school. The NECT is also improving educational outcomes by deploying change agents and school administration interns to schools targeted for intervention.

Inspiring reading districts

The NECT’s reading project in the Limpopo Province commenced in July this year, in collaboration with the Limpopo Department of Education and the Mookhophong Local Municipality.

Following a successful reading event hosted at Dikubu Primary School, the NECT has started distributing reading books for learners in the Waterberg District starting from grades four to six. These donations form part of an on-going effort to promote a national culture of reading – with an aim of improving South Africa’s literacy rates and developing learners’ reading and writing skills. The donation forms part of NECT-driven initiatives to reform education in the district by addressing its need for resources and learner support.

Vhembe District learners are the most recent recipients of a variety of brand new books. August saw 22 Vhembe schools receive starter packs to bolster their libraries and kick-start a culture of reading in these schools. As a fierce advocate of the power of reading, the NECT aims to mobilise learners, teachers and community members to participate in their drive to create a culture of reading, by sharing stories, supporting their local libraries and schools, and reading at home and to their children.

Delivering quality education in Limpopo

The NECT developed strategies to meet the needs of 119 schools through the Fresh Start Schools (FSS) Programme, and is now embarking on intervention initiatives to improve learner and teacher performances and education outcomes of these schools.

The FSS programme identifies schools that are in need of critical intervention. The fundamental shift in the focus of this programme recognises that every learner can be successful, that every learner can learn and perform well in school despite their personal circumstances. This recognition has an impact on how principals lead schools, how school managers hold school staff accountable, and how teachers plan and deliver their lessons.

As part of these initiatives the NECT has placed change agents in Vhembe and Waterberg to monitor progress in the FSS schools, and this has impacted on progress to delivery of National Development Plan’s (NDP) education objective: “90% of learners pass mathematics, science and languages at the 50% level by 2030.” In addition the NECT encourages parent involvement and support which has made a tangible difference in the district and will go a long way to ensure a great future for learners.

Ensuring delivery of quality education in rural schools is one of the NECT’s objectives and this is what drives efforts from all stakeholders in the Waterberg and Vhembe districts.