The SACTWU Winter School programme was initiated in 2000 after SACTWU identified the need to assist members' children to prepare and pass their matric final examinations. In 2001 the programme was expanded to include a series of Saturday Schools. The Winter Schools are held during the mid-year holiday period, over a 7-10 day period. Pre-exam sessions are normally held in September and Saturday schools runs from March to October.

A wide variety of subjects are offered to the matriculants. However, subjects are only offered if requested by a minimum of 15 applicants. The subjects that were offered at our Winter Schools over the last three years were English First & Second Language, Afrikaans First Language, Mathematics, Biology, Physical Science, Accounting, Business Economics, Economics, History and Geography.

At the end of the period a special session is held in which the students receive information on career guidance and post-matric studies. For this session, career counsellors and professionals from various tertiary institutions are invited to address the learners.

The educators who teach the various subjects at the Winter Schools and Saturday Schools are recruited through an application and interview process. All facilitators are matric level educators in their specific subject and have been involved in the various provincial examination processes either as markers or examiners. Because of their experience they are able to better help learners prepare for their final examination and focus on problem areas.

By its very nature, SACTWU hopes that those pupils exposed to the various facets of the programme, become critically thinking, socially conscious learners who will remember the role played by the SACTWU Benefits Programme in assisting them.