A delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education is currently visiting schools in the North West province to assess their readiness for the 2024 academic year.

This is part of the committee’s visit to four provinces to assess their readiness for the 2024 academic year. As part of the committee’s draft programme, committee members will engage stakeholders in the education sector to discuss the state of schooling for 2024.

The focus of the visit will include, among other things, assessing infrastructure; ablution facilities in schools, including pit-latrines eradication in the Eastern Cape; flood-damaged schools, especially school infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal after the floods; monitoring Grade R and early childhood development sites; the delivery of learner-teacher study material; school nutrition; learner transport and special schools support.

The delegation will be in the North West until tomorrow. Later in the week, they will visit schools in the Eastern Cape. A second delegation of the committee is visiting Limpopo for the next two days and later in the week will move to KwaZulu-Natal. Committee members are divided into two groups to ensure that they reach as many schools as possible in several provinces.

Details of the updated draft programme for Monday, 22 January 2024, are as follows:

North West delegation:
9:30 – 17:30: Visits to School in Ngaka Modiri Molema Education District
9:30 – 11:00: Pinagare Secondary School
11:30 – 13:00: Molelema Primary School P H Moeketsi Agricultural School
14:00 – 15:30: P H Moeketsi Agricultural School

After they visit the schools, the delegation will also meet with the North West Department of Education, the National Department of Basic Education, including the Office of the MEC, HOD, Senior and District Officials, members of the Portfolio Committee on Education in the North West Provincial Legislature, Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, Student Governing Bodies Associations, Organised Labour and the South African Principals Association.

The meeting will be held at the PH Moeketsi Agricultural School in Taung in the Dr Ruth Mompati District.