Limpopo Education MEC Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has challenged schools in the province to strive to enter more matriculants on the higher grade in future.

Addressing teachers, parents, matric achievers and special guests at the province's award ceremony in Polokwane, Motsoaledi said his department would assist by providing more in-service training for teachers, especially in mathematics, science and commercial subjects.

The MEC also announced that the the department would endeavour in the next five years to move the exemption rate from its current 20 percent to over 30 percent.

"We are painfully aware of the fact that this is a very ambitious target, but we believe it is achievable", the MEC said.

Referring to the recent mining, tourism and agricultural summits held in the province, which helped to define Limpopo's human resource needs, he added that the department would make sure that schools were properly placed to meet the demands of growth, development and employment in the province.

Motsoaledi believed schools that were better resourced with laboratories, libraries and science equipment should actually be compelled to offer these and other subjects at higher grade levels, as there could be no acceptable excuse for not doing so.

The MEC confirmed that the department would not in future make any awards to schools and learners only achieving success at standard grade level.

Motsoaledi said some headmasters panicked at the mention of higher grade, because of their tendency to clamor for symbols, as they wrongly believed they could only get distinctions in these subjects by committing their best learners to standard grade exams.

"This is looked upon by us as an unforgiveable sin, because the future of such learners in today's high-tech world is put in jeopardy", he explained.

"As government, we will not fold our arms after committing you to these high standards; we shall also do our best to help you, by supplying mobile labs and other facilities where they are needed," the MEC promised.

Motsoaledi pointed out that the number of disfunctional schools in Limpopo had been reduced from 29 in 2001 to just 8 this year, and this typified his department's commitment to academic excellence.

He paid tribute to the many schools who had produced excellent results, despite their meagre resources, and promised to reward them by providing them with the equipment they needed.

"These amazing schools are found in townships, far-flung villages, and on the farms of our province", he pointed out.

The MEC also noted that the quality of school governance and leadership had improved, through a programme of training and capacity building.

As a result, governing bodies, parents and local communities were now beginning to reclaim their schools as places of quality learning.

"Our ability to meet the challenges we have set ourselves will come to nothing without the enduring support of those who have worked side-by-side with us in promoting excellence in education; to all our partners in the private sector, non-government organisations, teacher unions and funding organisations, both local and international, we say thank you most sincerely".

Motsoaledi also paid tribute to his predecessor, Ms Joyce Mashamba, as well as the Head of Department, Professor Harry Nengwekhulu, for their leadership and their efforts to ensure that the department's policies and procedures were implemented.