Premier Skills training strengthens PE teaching in Mahikeng and Burgersfort

The Premier Skills PE teacher training was held at St Mary’s Secondary School in Mahikeng from 14 to 17 April. A few days later, Leolo Technical High School in Burgersfort hosted its session from 22 to 26 April. Both workshops form part of a powerful collaboration between the Premier League, the British Council, and MultiChoice’s SuperSport Let’s Play initiative, this collaboration aims to equip teachers, especially in under-resourced areas, to deliver inclusive, structured, and safe PE.

In Mahikeng, the training sparked fresh momentum as teachers completed the four-day programme. “We are very excited and honoured to be selected as a beneficiary of the Let’s Play sports field,” said Ramolefe Boitumelo, deputy principal of St Mary’s. “This programme will benefit not only our school, but the wider Mahikeng community as well.”

Burgersfort followed suit, with local educators embracing their role as community changemakers. Over the five-day training at Leolo Technical High, teachers were equipped to run engaging and adaptable PE lessons using local resources and real-world methods.

Principal Mathebula of Leolo Technical High School reflected on the lasting impact of the initiative, noting how the school’s approach to sports has evolved since the training and the earlier handover of a dedicated SuperSport’s Let’s Play sports complex.

“We believe that the mindset of the school community has changed from the moment the sports complex was handed over. This training initiative ensures we now have a layer of coaches both inside and outside the school.”

Since the launch of Premier Skills in October 2023, more than 700 teachers and coaches across 25 districts, including Mahikeng and Burgersfort, have been trained with support from SuperSport’s Let’s Play Centres of Sporting Excellence (LPCOSE). These centres offer multi-purpose sports fields and serve as hubs for sustainable physical education. Training has already been rolled out at five LPCOSE sites, namely Tsholomnqa High and Butterworth High in the Eastern Cape, Nomfihlela Primary in KwaZulu-Natal, Boikhutso Primary in Mpumalanga, and Tshithuthuni Primary in Limpopo.

Graduates also form part of Local Organising Committees (LOCs) that lead community events like the Let’s Play Fun Run and Modified Hockey Heritage Day Festival, drawing over 6,000 participants nationally and helping to expand access to community sport programmes.

Educator Nomthandazo Madlala shared her enthusiasm. “Our teachers have benefitted a great deal with the Premier Skills initiative. We are able to face the PE lessons with confidence and relevant knowledge. We are motivated to establish both in- and out-of-school activities to ensure that the sports hub benefits the learners.”

With each completed workshop, Premier Skills is helping teachers deliver more structured PE, while creating more opportunities for learners to be active, engaged, and growing through sport.

For more information, visit www.multichoice.com.