Gauteng township schools narrow the divide with many top performers

The Gauteng government has praised the improvement in the performance of township schools, saying the gap with suburban schools is being closed.

The province is celebrating its top achievers and its performance of 89.06 percent, making it the province with the third-highest pass rate.

The country’s top-performing district is also Johannesburg West.

Township schools have featured prominently in the Gauteng top schools this year, with several top achievers in several subjects, including business studies, life sciences, and physical science.

But both Education MEC Matome Chiloane and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi have drawn a comparison between Hoerskool Menlo Park, a suburban school, and Lufhereng Secondary School in Soweto.

Lesufi said that this is a sign that soon the group will be leveled between township schools, which are often non-fee paying, and suburban fee-paying schools.