LIMPOPO MEC for education Namane Masemola has ordered Khaodi High School management in Bellevue village to readmit 200 pupils who failed their matric exams last year .

Masemola went to the school near Mamaila yesterday after the school's results had declined over the years to just a 10percent pass rate last year.

The school used to be one of the best in the province - it achieved a 97percent pass rate in 2002.

But since then, its performance has been declining.

Out of the 223 pupils who sat for the matric examinations at the school last year, only 23 passed.

The MEC talked to the school's management to establish the nature of the problem regarding the absence of 200 failed pupils.

Principal Andries Lathane said that the pupils did not come back to the school and he did not know where they had gone to.

However, Masemola ordered Lathane to go and look for them and make sure they returned to class.

"The pupils must come back to the school and prepare for their future," Masemola said.

He said that it was irresponsible of the principal not to know where the pupils were.

There was, however, no time frame given to ensure the pupils returned to the school.

Masemola said the pupils might have been demoralised by the bad results and their future might be doomed if they did not come back to repeat Grade 12.

Masemola also wanted to know why the school was no longer doing well though it still had the same principal.

But management pointed out several problems, including the bad relations between the principal and the school's governing body, as well as the failure by the parents to cooperate with the school management.