Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is pictured interacting with a pupil at the Starling Primary School in Cape Town on 18 January 2023.Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is pictured interacting with a pupil at the Starling Primary School in Cape Town on 18 January 2023.
This comes as schools in coastal provinces start the academic year. Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier says 99.2% of learners in grade one and eight have been placed at schools for this year.“Normally at the start of the year we’d probably have between 300 and 500 more teachers. We’ve got 1 143 more teachers this year and 840 new classrooms, so we’re really happy. We’re pushing the boundaries really hard because of the growth. It’s always great to be at schools and I want to wish every learner, all 1.
Zainub Samuels, a mother of two learners at Starling Primary School in Athlone which the premier visited, says she feels nervous about her children starting school. “I’m nervous. I’m a mother of four so I have these two and I also have twins who also started on Monday, but I’m nervous for them for their journey into the new things, but also excited because I’m giving my kids what I never had, so it’s very heart warming,” adds Samuels.