The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule, visited the Piet Retief Combined School in Mpumalanga on 16 February 2026, where she engaged with principals, School Management Teams (SMTs), and School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to refine strategies to enhance learner achievement and strengthen overall school performance.

This engagement forms part of ongoing, targeted support interventions designed to assist underperforming schools in consolidating leadership capacity, improving classroom practice, and raising standards of teaching and learning with a view to improving learner attainment and enhancing quality outcomes during the 2026 academic year.

Engaging education stakeholders at Piet Retief Combined School, Deputy Minister Mhaule emphasised that meaningful progress in education demands collective resolve and purposeful collaboration. She noted that elevating standards in teaching and learning, cultivating principled and capable school leadership, entrenching sound governance, and upholding accountability are imperatives that rest upon shared stewardship.

Highlighting the value of openness and cooperation, Deputy Minister Mhaule encouraged stakeholders to articulate concerns, exchange exemplary practices, and advance practical remedies to persistent challenges. She reiterated that cohesive effort, transparent dialogue, and mutual responsibility form the bedrock of a nurturing academic environment in which every learner is afforded the opportunity to flourish.