WHILE Limpopo has recorded three schools with a zero percent pass rate each in last year's matric results, Premier Cassel Mathale and his MEC for education Dickson Masemola saw no value in visiting the affected schools.

Instead the two leaders visited the province's top performing school, Mbilwi High in Thohoyandou, which has been producing excellent matric results over the years.

Among the schools that had performed dismally are Makidi and Seroletshidi high schools in Sekhukhune, and Sterkrivier Combined School in Waterberg.

Education department spokesman Pat Kgomo said Mathale and Masemola have decided to visit Mbilwi to encourage other pupils from the same school to work hard to emulate their fellow pupils.

He said they would visit poor performing schools on the second day of schooling.

Desiree van der Walt, leader of the DA in Limpopo, yesterday criticised the visit by the two leaders to Mbilwi, saying there was no need to visit a top school on the first day of schooling.

"The schools that performed better would not take exception if the premier and his MEC did not visit them on the first day," Van der Walt said.

"They would understand that the focus should be on schools that had challenges, so that they can be motivated to perform better," she said.