By Nangamso Mabindla
21 January 2008

IN an effort to collect data and recommend solutions to improve the matric pass rate in Eastern Cape province, the Eastern Cape Youth Commission visited schools around Buffalo City.

Termed the Back to School Campaign, the initiative started last week at Wongalethu High School in NU2 in Mdantsane, followed by a visit to Moses Mabhida High School in NU16, also in Mdantsane.

After visiting township schools, the commissioners stopped in at Enoch Sontonga High School in the rural village of Ndevana, finishing their fact-finding mission at Hector Pieterson High School in Zwelitsha.

Talking about the campaign's objectives, youth commissioner Sinethemba Mashalaba said that the commission wanted to ensure quality teaching and learning in order to improve matric results.

"We wanted to get first-hand information regarding the challenges facing schools. These include overcrowding, vandalism, shortage of staff, distribution of learning material, furniture and transport," Mashalaba explained.

During their visits, the commissioners also congratulated those disadvantaged schools that posted high matric pass rates, and lent support and gave advice to those that underperformed in 2007.

"One of our main aims for 2008 is to improve [teaching and learning] of the natural and economic sciences by 70 percent," Mashalaba said.

Turning his attention to the visits, he said teachers at the schools were happy with the attention the Youth Commission was giving to disadvantaged schools.

"At Wongalethu, they … said they had a challenge when it came to the number of educators at the school. We said we would see where we could assist them."

He explained that since these schools were section 21 schools, they bought their own stationery. "But the challenge is that this stationery arrives very late and this affects learners' progress. We need to address that."

Another challenge was the "worn our furniture" that made it difficult for learners to enjoy being educated.

"The furniture at all the schools was broken and not in good condition. This is also caused by the community borrowing furniture from the school to use for funerals and other activities. We want to appeal to communities to take care of these schools," Mashalaba said.

Crime and vandalism were also problems, and Mashalaba said the Youth Commission would discuss this with the department of safety and security.

"We would like big institutions to take up our challenge and donate computers to these schools [but] for them to do that we need to assure them that these asserts will be safe in these schools."

Mashalaba said that the Back to School Campaign was a success.