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St Mary’s in Mahikeng wraps up Premier Skills training, empowering local teachers

Mahikeng, 22 April 2025 — The Premier Skills Physical Education (PE) teacher training programme—a collaboration between the Premier League, the British Council, and MultiChoice’s SuperSport Let’s Play initiative concluded today at St Mary’s Secondary School in Mahikeng.

 |  SA Sportspress  |  SA Football

Mahikeng, 22 April 2025 — The Premier Skills Physical Education (PE) teacher training programme—a collaboration between the Premier League, the British Council, and MultiChoice’s SuperSport Let’s Play initiative concluded today at St Mary’s Secondary School in Mahikeng.

Premier Skills Physical Education teacher training programme

Held from 14–17 April, the four-day workshop equipped teachers to deliver inclusive, engaging, and safe PE lessons. The programme is part of a national drive to promote structured physical activity in schools.

Since its launch in October 2023, Premier Skills has trained over 700 teachers and coaches across 25 districts and five Let’s Play Centres of Sporting Excellence (LPCOSE). Backed by SuperSport’s Let’s Play initiative, these centres provide multi-purpose sports fields that support accessible, sustainable PE.

The programme has reached schools in seven provinces, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State, Northern Cape, and Western Cape, cultivating  a culture of active living among learners.

Located in Lomanyaneng Village, St Mary’s Secondary School welcomes The training for empowereing local teachers and sparking excitement among learners. With limited access to formal PE, the initiative is unlocking opportunities for youth development, healthier lifestyles, and stronger community connection through sport.

“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 Secondary School. “This programme will benefit not only our school, but the wider Mahikeng community as well.”

Premier Skills Physical Education PE teacher training programme class

Teachers learned how to plan structured sessions, adapt activities to their context, and promote teamwork and safety. The training ended with a school sports festival involving over 100 learners, led by the newly trained educators.

As part of the programme’s legacy, St Mary’s will also receive a Let’s Play multi-purpose field to support continued sports development.

Ms Boitumelo Lesemela from Ipeleng Primary School shared. “I'm very thankful and fortunate to have been part of this programme. I’ve realised we’ve been very coach-centric, giving players few chances to communicate or follow clear instructions. That led to confusion. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned and empower my learners.”

Graduates join Local Organising Committees (LOCs) that coordinate community events like the Let’s Play Fun Run and Modified Hockey Heritage Day Festival, which have drawn over 6,000 participants nationally.

Since 2013, the British Council and Premier League have trained more than 3,500 educators in South Africa, reaching over 117,000 children. With MultiChoice’s continued support, the programme is uplifting communities through the power of sport and education.

The next training session takes place at Leolo Technical High School in Burgersfort from 22–26 April 2025.

For more information, visit: www.multichoice.com

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