Mhlaba Memela

Mhlaba Memela

The Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal is now engaged in new strategies to help improve the situation in schools that are underperforming.

MEC Ina Cronje and head of department, Cassius Lubisi, met with the principals from the affected schools in heart-to-heart talks at Hluhluwe at the weekend.

Principals from schools that obtained less than a 50percent matric pass rate last year had to attend the meeting.

Lubisi explained bold steps to improve the performance. The schools had to present their own turn-around strategies, based on the blueprint of the department.

Cronje told the principals: "If you fail, we fail. If you succeed we succeed. We are here to support you."

She referred to the importance of the correct response to poor performance and used the example of Sizaminqubeko Secondary School to prove that a school can turn around.

Sizaminqubeko had a 28,13percent pass in 2005, but jumped to 100percent last year.

She said managers had to monitor late comers and absenteeism, and that absent teachers were to be substituted by temporary staff.