Correctional Services Minister Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has wished all offenders writing matric (grade 12) exams in correctional centers across the country success in their efforts to empower and improve their lives.
Following the policy directive issued by Minister Mapisa-Nqakula shortly after coming into office as the political head of the Department a little over a year ago, to expand youth access to formal education the Department, the Department of Correctional Services has since increased the number of full time schools writing the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) examinations.
From previously one school in Durban at the Usethubeni Youth Centre, the Department of Correctional Services now has four full time schools with the addition of Voorberg, St Albans and Kuthama Senthumule Correctional Centres.
Minister Mapisa Nqakula’s long term vision with regard to the offering of formal education in correctional facilities is that formal education be mandatory for all school going age offenders in South Africa’s Correctional System, while offenders who fall outside of this category will be encouraged to also take up formal education over and above the vocational skilling programmes offered in the department.
The number of offenders sitting for examinations increased from 30 in Usethubeni in 2009 to 119 in 2010, with plans to increase access to all 15 Youth Development centres over the next few years.
This year’s examinations are written by 26 inmates at Usethubeni, 14 inmates in Voorberg, 12 inmates in St Albans and 67 in Kuthama Senthumule.
“This is a defining year in your schooling years and you must take every opportunity provided by Correctional Services with both hands.The Department can do everything to help but the key to your success and increased chances of successful re-integration into your communities are in your hands”, says Mapisa Nqakula.
One of the key result areas in the Minister’s performance agreement with the President is enhancing access of inmates to rehabilitation and development programmes that include formal education over the next three years.
The department had boasted of the only full time school – Usethubeni in Durban - which was registering very high pass rates of up to 100% per year over years. Minister Mapisa-Nqakula immediately registered serious concerns with this, as a limitation to be address with the urgency it deserves.
Of the sentenced inmates, 56 000 are young people between ages 18 and 25 years, many of whom lack basic educational qualifications or are illiterate.
From 2009 the Department of Correctional Services has facilitated the registration of five more correctional centres providing full time schooling in Voorberg – Western Cape, St Albans – Eastern Cape, Johannesburg and Baviaanspoort – Gauteng and Kuthama Sinthumule in Limpopo.
Mapisa-Nqakula says “there is a long way to go with so much to be done to meeting our targets.We believe with collaboration of our partners like the Department of Education and the private sector, we can do more to ensure effective development and rehabilitation of young inmates.”
Mapisa-Nqakula further adds “we will overcome our challenges that include shortage of qualified teachers, limited classrooms and scarce skills in particular commerce, mathematics and science.
Enquiries:
Sonwabo Mbananga
Cell: 0820453963
Tel: 012 305 8850
