Of the 7,9 million unemployed persons in South Africa in the first quarter of 2022, as many as 50,1% had education levels below matric, followed by those with matric at 40%.
The Second Chance Matric Programme (SCMP) was introduced with the sole purpose of helping young people obtain their Grade 12 qualification. The matric certificate is an important qualification because it can serve as an entry to a wide range of academic programmes offered at tertiary education institutions while increasing the likelihood of employment.
Support offered through the SCMP includes face to face support, the provision of study material for learners and the broadcasting of educational content on television and radio. However, when not enough of this support is provided, the programme records a high dropout rate.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will now receive support for the SCMP from the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. This agreement was signed by Higher Education DG in 2021 and will be in place for at least five years.
The combined responsibilities of the two departments will be to ensure that human resources are available to achieve the objectives of the SCMP. They will develop a joint monitoring strategy to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme and their collaboration. These departments will also establish an Oversight Committee for the implementation of this protocol.
Work towards ensuring inclusive education to accommodate teachers, lecturers and learners with disabilities will also be on both departments' agenda while they are also tasked with developing and implementing psycho-social support programmes.
