KwaZulu-Natal youth prison
14 August 2007
Young offenders have been given new hope with a unique partnership between
the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and the Department of Correctional
Services.
The Amajuba Further Education and Training College has extended its service
to the young offenders at Ekuseni Youth Development Centre near Newcastle by
offering civil engineering courses, (construction, masonry and tiling, etc)
fundamentals (fitting and turning, etc.) and electrical infrastructure
(electrical systems and construction, etc.), as well as other skills
development courses.
The partnership is a first of its kind in South Africa and a response to the
needs of the community. An offender who has completed his or her National
Curriculum Vocational 4 (NCV) will be employable or capable of starting his or
her own business. Career guidance and counselling on NCV2 level ensures that
the learner chooses the right stream.
Some of the offenders landed in prison as a result of poverty. The programme
aims at poverty alleviation, as well as addressing the skills shortages as
spelt out in the Accelerated Skills Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA)
and Joint Initiative Priorities of South Africa (Jipsa).
The Ekuseni Youth Development Centre is one of two youth centres of the
Department of Correctional Services in KwaZulu-Natal. There are currently 327
young offenders (between 14 and 21) at Ekuseni. Of these 116 are doing National
Curriculum Vocational courses, nine are doing skills development courses that
are being phased out, nine are doing tailoring; 18 catering, 20 computer
training, 12 hydroponics, 43 are being skilled in work teams, 75 are doing
formal education (Grades 10 to 12) and two are doing tertiary education.
In addition to the hydroponics project, approximately one hectare of land
within the centre boundaries will be developed and used for accredited
agricultural training for the medium to long-term offenders.
Addressing the Ekuseni students today, 14 August 2007, KwaZulu-Natal
Education MEC Ina Cronjé said while their freedom has been taken away because
they have made some mistakes and have been paying for that, they must start
thinking what to do now. "You are young people with your lives ahead of you.
Now is the time to use your skills, talents and ability to learn something
useful. This will help you not to go back to crime when you are released."
"I am sure that each and every one want to be a 'somebody' one day. Each one
has a talent. You are young, you don't want to waste your lives. You are going
to make something out of your lives. You will walk tall and be proud of
yourselves and society will be proud of you."
She said the partnership between Correctional Services and the KwaZulu-Natal
Department of Education will be strengthened to explore the possibility of
establishing a fully equipped satellite campus of Amajuba at Ekuseni, as well
as extending the Further Education and Training (FET) College programme
throughout the Regions Correctional Centres.
Terence Sibiya, Deputy Regional Commissioner of Correctional Services,
thanked MEC Cronjé for the Education Department's contribution in educating and
skilling offenders. "This will enable them to make a successful contribution to
society upon release and will assist in curbing re-offending."
Issued by: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Government
14 August 2007
