Launch of the 'Own Your Future' Public Awareness Campaign

Today, I launched the "Own your future" public awareness campaign at Masiyile Senior Secondary School in Khayelitsha.

The public awareness campaign for Grade twelve's (12's) is the first of its kind in the province's history and includes messages of motivation and practical study tips for the matric class of 2010 on billboards, in taxi's, trains, bus shelters, and in selected print and radio.

The campaign, "Own YOUR future. Own YOUR success. Study hard to pass YOUR matric" is part of the Western Cape Education Department's (WCED's) plan to improve the Grade twelve (12) pass rate in the province in 2010 and encourages learners to put maximum effort into their studies in the remaining months of their school career up to their final National Senior Certificate Examinations.

This administration is determined to reverse the decline in the matric pass rate and to ensure that as many young people as possible pass the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, for it is an essential element in ensuring that our learners reach their full potential and are able to make a positive contribution to society.

We are asking our Grade twelve's (12's) to plan their study time carefully, to stick to that plan and study hard. They must also ensure that they have a textbook for each subject, and to stay positive, focused and healthy.

Earlier this year, the WCED concluded a top-up programme, which saw fifteen thousand (15 000) additional textbooks being provided to Grade twelve (12) learners in critical subject areas.

We have asked schools to inform us where there is a further need for textbooks in Grade twelve (12). We can't have any of our Grade twelve (12) learners preparing for examinations without the necessary support material such as textbooks.

We also urge learners to contact the WCED for advice on the NSC examinations by visiting the Western Cape Education Department website, or to consult their 'Tips for success' booklets.

The department has successfully distributed a 'Tips for success' booklet to every Grade twelve (12) learner in the province.

We are very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our learners on the booklet which provides them with information on how to plan their revision programme, tips on how to study, curriculum check lists, how to remember what they have studied and how to write examinations successfully.

We are also excited about other interventions such as the tutoring programme for complex areas of the syllabus, the roll-out of past examination papers, after school, weekend and holiday classes and an Interactive Telematic Teaching programme, which will see one hundred and twenty (120) schools benefit from expert tuition in subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Sciences and Accounting.

There are now only one hundred and sixty six (166) days to go before the start of the National Senior Certificate.

These examinations are extremely important and we encourage the whole province to back our Grade twelve's (12's). Encourage them to stay motivated and to study hard.

We certainly believe in the class of 2010, and we hope that this campaign reinforces the fact that we are fully behind them every step of the way.