Chairperson of the NYDA board, Mr Yershen Pillay
CEO of the ETDP Seta Mr Mabu Puphohla
Programme Director, Mrs Nthuseng Mphahlele
Mr Johannes Kokozela,
2013 NYDA Second Chance Matric Rewrite beneficiary
NYDA Second Chance Matric Rewrite Top Ten and their parents
Members of the media,
Basic Education remains a fundamental building block of our nation’s economy because it is in the classrooms and playgrounds around the country where our leaders of tomorrow are harvested and cultivated. This is where our nation’s great minds begin to take form and grow.
The harsh reality still affecting South Africa’s young democracy means that many of our school-going children are still faced with challenges far beyond their years like child and youth-headed households, poverty and abuse amongst many others.
These struggles have a direct impact on the results of our Basic Education from grade R all the way to matric and even well into tertiary education. Our teachers and principals who also serve as social workers, care-givers and community activists must all be commended for their relentless commitment to all of these multi-faceted roles.
The number of learners who benefit from the National School Nutrition Programme is 9.2 million learners while 80% of our learners benefit from pro-poor policy package, such as “no fee” schools.
It is owed to this harsh reality that as government we have always emphasised the paramount importance of affording our youth with second chance opportunities like the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority Z(ETDP Seta’s) Second Chance Matric Rewrite Programme. However, it has always been my clarion call that this programme be taken to full scale. In order for this to happen, government requires strong support from the private sector.
Last week at the official announcement of the matric results of the Class of 2015, the Minister of Basic Education emphasised that the Class of 2015 recorded the highest enrolment of Grade 12 learners in the history of the basic education system in South Africa.
The total number of candidates who registered for the November 2015 NSC examinations was 799 306. Of these 799 306 learners 29.3% did not make the cut. The Minister also highlighted this week that approximately 17 000 learners nationally failed their matric and now require a second chance, in whatever shape or form, to rewrite their National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. And this amount excludes learners who have passed but wish to upgrade their marks to obtain a university entrance.
The National Youth Development Agency and the ETDP Seta have been jointly increasing their budgetary allocations towards their Second Chance Matric Rewrite programme every year to provide more young people with the opportunity to obtain their matric certificates. As the NYDA Chairperson just mentioned, the NYDA and ETDP Seta Second Chance Matric Rewrite programme is currently in its sixth year of implementation so it is now overdue that this programme be taken to full scale.
Last year R14 840 000 was budgeted for this programme which resulted in an intake of 4443 young people. For the 2016 enrolment, a staggering R20 million is budgeted for 5676 second chance opportunities but these amounts, while relatively impressive, do not begin to address the problems.
We require fully fledged campuses around the country, like those used by the NYDA and the ETDP Seta, where learners can enrol for full time or part time classes and be adequately tutored to rewrite their matric exams. Otherwise, what is to become of more than 17 000 of our youth who have just failed their matric exams? Do they join the hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth? We cannot allow this to happen. Poor performing provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape require intensified efforts.
The NYDA has given me their commitment that while their programme will be implemented in various regions of all nine provinces, particular focus will be granted to these under-performing provinces.
As government we consequently commend the Department of Basic Education for taking up this baton and launching their own second chance programme. Together, the Department of Basic Education, ETDP Seta and the NYDA will be better equipped to ensure that the 2015 cohort who did not obtain their matric certificate can join the likes of Johannes Kokozela in years to come.
Johannes, thanks to the NYDA and ETDP Seta, did not have to waste his true potential but instead can now join South Africa’s bustling industry in banking or finance when he completes his BSC Degree.
Let’s keep our young men and women learning. Your support is needed. Every bit helps. Let’s play our part and change lives.
I thank you.
