Johannesburg – The performance of township and rural schools in the Free State has been partly credited to Kagiso Trust’s Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme (BNSDP).
In 2004, Kagiso Trust implemented its pilot of the BNSDP in the Vhembe district in Limpopo.
In 2007, the programme was extended to schools in the Free State’s Thabo Mofutsanyana district in partnership with the Free State department of education. By 2011, the programme had grown from 10 schools to 166 in 2016.
The BNSDP has since been extended to Fezile Dabi and Motheo districts in the Free State, which again took the number one spot in the 2020 matric results.
In the 2020 National Senior Certificate results, the Fezile Dabi, Thabo Mofutsanyana and Motheo districts in the Free State made the national top 10 list.
Fezile Dabi and Motheo have been in the top 10 for two consecutive years. Kagiso Trust CEO Mankodi Moitse said the trust is aiming for similar results with its interventions in rural and township schools in the Sekhukhune East district of Limpopo.
“Education in our country has its challenges, and the Covid- 19 pandemic threatened to destroy the hopes and dreams of many matriculants. To be able to prevail despite the closure of schools and the challenges that came with being unable to access the traditional and necessary schooling is a feat that shows the determination and resilience of the learners,” Moitse said.
“We must also pay tribute to the work of educators, parents, communities and the trust’s teams of experts on the ground around the country, particularly in Limpopo and the Free State. Their collaboration and dedication have been vital in getting the 2020 matrics throughout this year.”
MEC for education in the Free State Tate Makgoe has expressed his gratitude to Kagiso Trust and other partners for helping the government.
“Working together with Kagiso Trust, we encourage schools to achieve educational success by raising the bar, closing the gap and supporting learners in all grades,” said Makgoe.
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