Ms Dimakatso Ramosedi, Chief Education Specialist for Secondary Schools Curriculum in the Lejweleputswa District.

To improve academic results and encourage future goals, the Lejweleputswa Education District has teamed up with the Central University of Technology (CUT), Welkom Campus, to host the Grade 12 Winter School cam. This 10-day programme aims not just to boost learners’ performance in key subjects, the initiative goes beyond academics as some are stepping onto university grounds for the first time, an authentic experience of university life.

The Winter School focuses on critical STEM subjects: Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Geography, which brings together learners from underperforming schools across the district, including remote areas such as Bultfontein, Bothaville, and Winburg.

“This is a dream come true for us,” said Ms Dimakatso Ramosedi, Chief Education Specialist for Secondary Schools Curriculum in the Lejweleputswa District. “We’ve been striving for a formalised partnership like this for years. Now, with the support of both our District Director and the CUT Welkom Campus Principal, Dr Joe Molete, we’re seeing this as part of the university ploughing back into the community in a meaningful way.”

Ms Ramosedi mentioned that the programme is supported by top-performing teachers from across the district and CUT tutors who help learners to bridge the learning gaps and strengthen their understanding.

“What’s exciting is that the university will also assist our learners with applications to the university and NSFAS funding. They’re also receiving career guidance, which gives them a clear goal to work towards. This programme is also about showing them that there is hope and a future beyond their current circumstances. For many learners, this is their first time in a university environment, and even their first time in a town like Welkom. Some of these learners are staying in their own rooms for the first time and get to experience the university environment for the first time. This is not just an academic programme, it is also a community-building experience. It shows them that with education, they can go far.”

The Department of Education hopes to expand the programme to other towns and establish more university-linked camps. “We want to increase the footprint of this initiative. Our goal is to ensure that learners don’t feel the need to leave Welkom to find academic opportunities elsewhere, they should find them right here at home,” she said.

The programme has been endorsed by the MEC for Education, and the department is hoping that she will attend the official launch as scheduled. “This initiative contributes directly to the National Development Plan by increasing the number of learners who can contribute to scarce skills in STEM. We are grateful and excited for what lies ahead,” she concluded.

Uploaded: 03 July 2025