Residents of Kabe village, near Mahikeng in the North West, are excited that Grade R will be mandatory at all schools.
This follows a new rule that the Basic Education Department has approved.
Kabe lies in a village in a deeply rural area near Mahikeng.
The village lacks basics such as schools and clinics. Residents travel to the surrounding communities to access basic services.
Some parents have described the new rule as progressive.
One parent says, “I think when a child starts in Grade R they will have a good foundation which is going to build a mentality to say, Ok, this is a new environment, this is a school, this is where I can make friends and do different things.”
“I support the new law that the department is imposing. Because last year in our village at Modiko school, they advised us to take our children to creche so that when they go to Grade R, they will have some basics of what they will be doing in Grade R,” says another parent.
Meanwhile, provincial Education Department spokesperson Mphata Molokwane says they are ready for Grade R admissions.
“In the province, we don’t have any primary schools without a Grade R because this is where the foundation is laid to see how the learner can perform in other grades.”
“In terms of infrastructure readiness, the province is ready to accommodate Grade R learners, and teaching material is also in place to accommodate Grade R learners. So far, the department has not encountered any challenges in terms of delivering curriculum in Grade R classes,” says Molokwane.
VIDEO | Grade R becomes compulsory in schools:
