In 2004, Kagiso Trust piloted the Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme (BNSDP) in the Vhembe district in Limpopo, with the aim of improving the quality of rural schools.
The programme was extended to ten schools in the Free State’s Thabo Mofutsanyana district in 2007, in partnership with the Free State Department of Education. By the time the partnership came to an end, the programme had evolved into a District Whole School Development (DWSD) model, which could be replicated and scaled by prospective partners and education development stakeholders.
The district has continued to perform well academically- a testament to the success of the DWSD, which was rolled out by the Kagiso Shanduka Trust. The trust is a partnership between Kagiso Trust and the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, which was established in 2013. The matric pass rate has steadily increased over the years, reaching 90% in 2018 (up from 81% in 2012). This placed the district in second position in the Free State, with Fezile Dab placed first – also a beneficiary of the programme since 2013.
The programme was extended to the Sekhukhune and Riba Cross districts in Limpopo in 2019, in partnership with the Limpopo Department of Education. The Sekhukhune district is one of the poorest in the province, and when the programme was introduced, it was characterised by low staff morale and inadequate matric results.
Capacity building improves management and school results
The programme set out to improve outcomes, but it was initially hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, one advantage was that ICT was integrated in teaching and learning through the technical high schools’ programme, in partnership with the Sasol Foundation.
Kagiso Trust hosted district management workshops to ensure district plans were aligned. The trust invested in capacity building, including instructional leadership for principals and school management teams, and teacher development and mentorship. Direct learner support was also offered, including mentorship.
The Limpopo Provincial Government assessed the impact of the programme, noting that in most schools in which capacity building was offered, there were dramatic improvements in both management and school results.
This video provides insight into how these improvements came about, and what the journey entailed.
