Cape town: The Western Cape Education MEC, David Maynier, has announced that a total of 21,700 matric learners attended the ‘Back on Track’ programme during the winter school holidays across the eight educational districts in the province. The classes covered a variety of subjects depending on the venue.

According to South African Government News Agency, Maynier visited one of the province’s winter school venues, Protea Heights Academy in Brackenfell, where learners were being tutored in mathematics and physical science. Learners indicated that the extra lessons have made a significant impact, as content is covered in more depth. They also highlighted that attending lessons in a different environment, with learners from several other schools, had kept them interested and helped them to focus on the work more effectively.

As learners head back to school, Maynier said matrics will continue with extra classes during the term, starting from this coming weekend. However, extra classes for Grade 4 and 7 learners will take place on selected weekends later in the term. According to the MEC, the province also held intensive ‘Back on Track’ mathematics training for Grade 10 and 11 teachers during the holidays, with 95 teachers attending across the two grades. Maynier believes that this training will help to improve their teaching skills and prepare for the term ahead.

Meanwhile, the Western Cape Infrastructure MEC, Tertuis Simmers, donated computers, laptops, and stationery to three schools in Cape Town. The handover took place at Fairview Primary School in Grassy Park, Bramble Way Primary School in Bonteheuwel, and Sinethemba High School in Philippi. What started as 67 Minutes of giving back to local communities as part of a Mandela Day event in 2024 has grown into a year-long department’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) outreach across the province. Other CSI events have taken place over the past year in the Central Karoo, Cape Winelands, Garden Route, West Coast, and City of Cape Town districts. The computers that were donated have been refurbished, while the stationery was donated by some of the department’s private sector partners.