Mola also touched on the incentive element of the BNSDP for schools, but stressed that there are conditions attached to it.

The incentives are given to performing schools as part of the programme’s mission to encourage teachers and learners to achieve quality results. “We say to the schools: ‘demonstrate your commitment to improve learner’s results and  if you improve to this regard we will incentivise you with infrastructure’.

“That’s how we measure the commitment of respective schools. This encourages schools to compete against each other. We set a benchmark of 60% to evaluate performance but we know that our schools can do  much better. We have schools in Qwaqwa [in the Free State] who performed well beyond 90%, so it’s possible for other schools to do the same,” Mola said.

The BNSDP is not only focusing on learners as communities can also benefit from it.

Mola said they rope in qualified engineers to oversee the process but prioritise the community, by giving the entire job to build the facilities at the schools to its qualified members, thereby creating jobs. “We don’t look elsewhere for expensive companies to build these facilities, but in the communities were the schools are.

“We give them a stipend during the building process and after completion we hand over the facilities to the communities and schools. By doing so, we give them the ownership of these facilities and we are guaranteed of their safety,” he said.