The intervention strategy was highlighted during an interactive session hosted by education MEC Ntsetsao Viola Motsumi at Hoërskool Wagpos in Brits on Wednesday (20/5). It brought together school principals, educators, and learners to address operational challenges and map out development pathways for agricultural education.

According to the spokesperson of the North West department, the session forms part of a provincial drive to position agriculture as a primary goal for youth employment, skills development, and food security.

During the engagements, school representatives identified several systemic resource constraints currently slowing down practical training. These challenges include outdated farming equipment, inadequate irrigation systems, and limited access to agricultural land.

In response to these concerns, the department confirmed that official submissions have been made under the infrastructure and technical high schools conditional grant. The allocated funding is made to upgrade important facilities across the province, including school workshops, agricultural tunnels, and active learning farms.

Learners at Hoërskool Wagpos in Brits on Wednesday (20/5). Photo: North West Department of Education

“Agriculture is not just a subject; it is a solution,” said Motsumi. Its 98-year history is an operational model for combining academic theory with hands-on agricultural practice.

The department urged other agricultural institutions in the province to measure their operations against the school, specifically within the fields of crop production, animal husbandry, and agri-processing.

She emphasised long-term national sustainability relies on developing a younger generation skilled in food production, adding the department’s role is to ensure all agricultural schools are equipped with the necessary tools to replicate successful practical models.

To sustain this educational intervention, the department committed to establishing quarterly engagements with agricultural schools. Additionally, the province will facilitate structured exposure visits for both educators and learners to research institutions and commercial farming operations.

Learners at the session were directed toward post-matric agricultural pathways, including diplomas and degrees in agribusiness, veterinary studies, and agricultural sciences offered at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and universities across the North West.

Furthermore, the department called for immediate collaborative partnerships with the private sector and the department of agriculture and rural development to secure mentorships, internships, and student exposure to modern farming technologies.

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