The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule, this week, embarked on a Back-to-School Campaign aimed at gauging progress in quality learning and teaching across four identified schools in the Tshwane North Education District. Deputy Minister Mhaule further used the Campaign to engage various School Management Teams (SMTs) on the state of learner placement across all grades, including Grades 1 and 8, the delivery of Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM), as well as school governance and leadership.

The Campaign sought to encourage teachers, learners, members of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and SMTs to share a collective vision of turning schools into centres of excellence. The schools visited included Kondelelani Secondary, Mmabana Primary, Ntswane Secondary and Motshegofadiwa Primary Schools.

During the visits, Deputy Minister Mhaule partnered with GauTV, Kwetso Foundation, and the Khunjulwa Foundation in the handover of dignitary packs, library materials, and school shoes to learners, further reinforcing the Department’s commitment to learner support and school enrichment.

The SMTs and members of SGBs in schools visited confirmed that effective learning and teaching had been taking place across all the grades since learners returned at the beginning of the 2026 academic year. They expressed gratitude to the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) for assisting in successfully completing learner placements and to the DBE for ensuring the timely delivery of LTSM. However, schools also appealed for intervention to address the challenge of overcrowded classrooms due to limited infrastructure.

Deputy Minister Mhaule also visited the Gert Sibande Education District in the Mpumalanga Province on 31 January 2026, to engage school principals and members of SGBs from top and underperforming schools. She encouraged SMTs to share best practice to ensure that struggling schools receive adequate support to improve their performance during the 2026 school calendar.

During the visit, Mr Jerry Matjeni, Principal of Ntswane Secondary School, outlined the school’s strategic shift towards the vocational education stream, noting that the school achieved a 100% pass rate in Agricultural Management Practices in Grade 10. “Our school is also excelling in Agricultural Sciences and Agricultural Technology. We will work very hard to ensure that learners acquire practical skills such as welding and basic electrical work,” he said.

Addressing learners at the various schools, Dr Mhaule reiterated that the DBE would continue to support Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) in improving the quality of education. She emphasized the importance of strengthening foundational learning in primary schools and promoting Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education from the General Education and Training (GET) band through to the Further Education and Training (FET) phase.

“Our learners should be motivated to gravitate towards Mathematics and Physical Sciences in their subject combinations as early as possible. Learner participation in these gateway subjects remains low, which is a worrying factor requiring urgent attention. I would like to thank all teachers for their excellent performance in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. During the 2026 school calendar, we must continue to strive for quality results, with higher numbers of bachelor passes and distinctions, especially in the gateway subjects.

I am generally satisfied with the level of preparedness and commitment demonstrated in all the schools I’ve visited so far. Let me extend my gratitude to the learners and teachers for showing discipline and order in every school identified for my visit. Keep up the good work,” concluded Deputy Minister Mhaule.