In his unwavering support to those students who have performed exceptionally well during the 2005 academic year, the chairperson of Limpopo Youth Commission (LYC), Mr Rodgers Tshivhase, said that those who have failed should consider fail as an abbreviation for first attempt in learning, if not in life.

Tshivhase said that those who have passed should make use of the available institutions of higher learning in the province and constructively use the available bursary facilities to further their studies. He said that hard work, dedication, commitment, vision and discipline are critical tools for success. “Education is a tool for liberation and development; we need young people to lead the struggles ahead,” he said.

Tshivhase also said that his unreserved salute goes to those schools which have continued to produce good results in the previous academic year under extremely difficult learning and teaching conditions.

“What are the lessons from 2005? A logical reflection on 2005 is necessary as we intensify our efforts to transform our education system and institutions of learning and teaching. We need to do so with courage, honesty and integrity. These values can be a fertile ground and platform to launch an offensive against those individuals who still do not take their school and academic work seriously. It is not our place to rest and say we have failed; we must all pull up our socks and learn from our mistakes,” he said.

Tshivhase said that the LYC is noting with concern the inherited harsh realities facing the previously disadvantaged schools and learners in particular, because schools in remote areas and farms are still faced with backlogs in basic learning infrastructure and recourses. These include the shortage of classrooms, overcrowding and the absence of learning material. He said that a sustainable culture of learning and teaching can only be built in an enabling environment, meaning that the provision and availability of classrooms, pens, books, chairs, tables and electricity are critical resources needed to achieve academic and educational excellence in all schools.

He further added that the same challenges require all community stakeholders to have an effective and appropriate system of school governance, strong and active SGBs in schools. He added that the existing imbalances in educational infrastrucutre and resource allocation in the provincial schools call for immediate redress and collective intervention by all education stakeholders. “We note with great interest the efforts made by the Department of Education, in reducing the shortage of classrooms in the province, including the furniture, electricity, toilets, educators, learning and other teaching resources, but as a commission, we are saying a lot still needs to be done,” he said.

Tshivhase further added that the present education policy framework dictates that everybody must be involved in all aspects of learning and teaching and the educational life of the youth. “We must participate in all processes of learning to promote a sustainable community-driven culture of learning and teaching,” he said. Tshivhase added that, if looking back to 2005 means that 'we have failed', then everyone must take responsibility for not doing enough to reach the highest performance standard. He claimed that logic dictates that everyday learning starts within families and not only in the classroom. By the same token, logic requires a united and collective front, involving everybody, every day in the education of the youth at home, school and within the respective communities.

“We have to learn from our enduring past experiences of a struggle against an unjust, corrupt Bantu education, replacing it with the present learner-centred, outcomes-based and transformative system of education. Fighting to be number one must be each youth and learner's mission during 2006 and beyond.”