Rustenburg – North West Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said they welcome teachers and learners back from the winter break and are ready to continue with the curriculum.
“Schools were on a deserved winter break while matriculants carried on with winter camps to close content gaps from the past quarter.
“My thanks goes to parents for keeping our learners safe during the winter holidays. Now that the holidays are over, I wish to see learners back in class and administer lessons for the third quarter. We are ready to carry on with the curriculum. To our learners, we hope you are coming back revived and rejuvenated,” she said.
Departmental officials were expected to monitor the first day of schooling in various schools on Tuesday, with Matsemela visiting Gabonewe Secondary School in Madikwe, to congratulate Kutlwano Tshatiwa.
Tshatiwa won a gold medal in his research and application in machine learning at an “International Festival of Engineering Science and Technology” in Tunisia in June.
He was one of two young scientists who were selected at an “Eskom Expo International Science Fair” in 2021 to represent South Africa in Tunisia at the grand tech festival.
In his exhibition, he used millions of images to test custom model and distillation for mobile app machines.
The other learner was from Stellenbosch, Western Cape who won a gold medal in his research on physical sound.
One of the most inspiring things about Tshatiwa’s win is that his knowledge for machinery was self taught.
“Winning a gold medal at the ‘International Festival of Engineering Science and Technology’ was really great for me personally. It was an indication that my research project is not only among the best at home, but among the best on an international stage.
“The competition was tough, with other countries presenting really smart and complex research. I also felt humbled by the experience, and was proud to represent my country,” Tshatiwa said on his return from Tunisia.
IOL