The minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts, and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, has welcomed learners and teachers back to school for the second semester, urging hard work and dedication to the task at hand.

Learners across the country returned to school this morning for the second semester.

Dr. Steenkamp described the second semester as the time for teachers, learners and principals to reinforce discipline at schools.  She said a school without discipline is a school with no direction. 

According to Steenkamp, it is important that teachers and learners exercise punctuality at schools and spend quality time in classrooms during teaching and learning sessions.

"On behalf of the ministry, we extend a warm welcome to all our school administration's principals and teachers but also our learners in particular. We trust that the one-month holiday has provided you with renewed energy and insights to tackle the second trimester. This trimester we wish to reinforce the importance of discipline at our schools; we know that any school without discipline is a school without direction, and that we cannot have. In terms of punctuality of class attendance for both teachers and learners, these are important issues: the quality time spent in the classrooms during the teaching and learning sessions."

The minister also extends her best wishes to all the teachers and principals as they finalise the curriculum and specific syllabi. She commends their dedication to ensuring that all learners successfully achieve key learning competencies.

​Steenkamp also expressed her gratitude to the parents for their support in providing for their children's educational needs and acknowledged their efforts in ensuring that the learners are mentally, physically, and psychologically prepared to return to school and are ready to give their best in the classroom.