In his opening address, DG Mweli acknowledged the contributions of Ms Daphne Mohube from the NWDoE, who recently passed away, by observing a moment of silence in her honour. Ms Mohube diligently served the education sector as a teacher and in various areas within the Department. North West Head of Department, Mr Lengane Bogatsu, opened the meeting on 8 October 2025, by welcoming the approximately 280 online delegates, who were in attendance. “This meeting is apt; we have just concluded our two-day strategic session and are looking forward to robust discussions, after which we will incorporate suggestions to infuse our last push intervention programme.”
The various presentations were facilitated by Acting DDG for Curriculum, Mr Mpho Ramadie, with Ms Agnes Motsusi, leading the session on the Tracking of Learner Performance per grade and per subject from Grades R to 12. It was clear that learners are underperforming in Home Languages and Social Sciences, and this concern was discussed in detail during the question-and-answer session.
DG Mweli expressed concern in respect of Foundational Learning: “Minister Gwarube has identified Foundations for Learning as a priority area for the 7th Administration and the DBE will be engaging with the province in terms of follow up for an intervention strategy on how these areas will be addressed”. He suggested that the DBE will be developing a package of support to be provided to various provinces for intervention mechanisms.
It was clear that Grades 1 to 7 were the weakest area of the system with pockets of underperformance. Qualifications of the teachers who are teaching home languages are a cause for concern. Ms Motsusi indicated that the province conducted an audit on Home Languages and are working towards continued improvement along with curriculum coordinators, subject advisors, and the University of the North West. On MTbBE, the province reported training was underway in the 941 schools that were registered. Dr Naledi Mbude Mehana, DBE’s DDG for Transformation Programmes, said that the challenge in terms of language vitality in respect of Home Languages was continuing, pointing to a mismatch of methodology and pedagogy. A deeper dive into the province’s strategy is required, and the DBE’s National Language Unit (NLU) will be assisting in this regard.
Mr Oupa Mekgwe explained that the provincial target for the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive is 1,000 ECD Programmes. The province has received 932 applications on the E-Cares System, and 489 applications have been approved provincially. The province has received an additional R104 million allocation for ECD, he added.
The province reported that five additional Agricultural Focus Schools have been established in 2024. Ms Mataole Ramohapi, Director in the Office of the DG, said that Focus Schools could be extended beyond Agriculture, and that certain technical subjects such as digital systems, creative and dramatic arts are not offered in some of the districts. She added that the performance of learners with disabilities should improve and that support should be given to learners in the lower grades in special schools.
Mr Hilton Visagie, Director for Assessment and Administration, complemented the province on their NSC readiness. Mr Ramoroeg Moroeng reported that 45,366 candidates have registered to write at 453 examination centres and that the printing of examination papers is in progress and that invigilators and chief invigilators had been trained. Monitoring will be increased to 75%, and with 570 monitors. Marking will commence from 1 November and capturing will be done centrally in Mahikeng. The pledge signing ceremony has been scheduled for 17 October 2025.
Overcrowding remains a challenge in English medium schools. Systems for the management of admission queries, the capturing of future learners on SA-SAMS, and district awareness programmes continue with the provision of 323 mobile classrooms. On the provisioning of teachers, Ms Laetitia Munday, DBE’s Director for Education HR Planning, requested the province to ensure that all staff are vetted against the National Register for Sexual Offenders and the Child Protection Register, considering the sexual exploitation of learners in schools.
Dr Barney Mthembu, DDG for Curriculum Policy, Support and Monitoring, advised that schools should be assisted to ensure that no scripts are lost during the examinations. “Group copying takes place mostly in the afternoon sessions, so monitors should be attentive during these sessions, with an appeal for all learners to be allowed to finish their examinations. The DBE will submit a template for each province to indicate absenteeism during the examinations on a weekly basis for consolidation at national level.” In conclusion it was confirmed that the Class of 2025 is a stronger cohort than the Class of 2024. DG Mweli advised that matters to pay attention to during the NSC examinations be compiled and shared with schools, along with an accompanying circular, and later perhaps in guideline format. “Your passion and commitment is evident; we are looking forward to the Third Term results to obtain a clearer picture of the holistic performance of the province. The next virtual provincial engagement will be taking place on 10 October 2025, with the Northern Cape Department of Education.