As of this morning, the committee is in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality, under which Upington falls. The group is inspecting learning and teaching at the Uitsig Primary, Sternham Intermediate, and Friersdale Combined Schools respectively. 

On Thursday, the committee will meet with the province’s Education MEC, Zolile Monakali, the committee on Education in the Provincial Legislature, organised labour, and the school governing body (SGBs) at the Duineveld High School in Upington. It is expected that the availability of learning materials, staff shortages, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will be areas of focus during this visit.

This Central South African province made the most significant improvement in its recent matric results for 2021 as compared to other provinces in the country. The Northern Cape’s matriculants managed to attain a 71,4% pass rate in 2021 as compared to 66% in 2020. Premier Zamani Saul has been quoted in national media publications, lamenting that this is still below the national average of 76,4%. 

The ZF Mgcawu District was the second-best performing district with respect to matric results, with the Namakwa District achieving the highest pass rate at 81,2%. The Frances Baard District, where the committee is headed to on Friday, came in third.

OFM News