Experiences of participants in the Department of Basic Education’s second chance matric rewrite programme in Westrand, South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the experiences of young people who had participated in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Second Chance Programme previously offered by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and handed over to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in 2016. Second chance education is based on the idea that ‘through an organised structure an individual can actualise an educational opportunity missed or failed the first time around.’ The philosophy underpinning second chance education is that ‘errors made with the selection mechanisms of the educational system or by individuals who terminated their own educational career could be corrected at a later stage.’ The study, which applied the techniques of qualitative methodology, was undertaken in the West Rand, Gauteng in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 beneficiaries between the ages 18 and 21 who had taken part in the programme. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and risks associated with it, the study was conducted, using e-platforms to avoid infections through close social contact. It was found that the programme had assisted many young people who otherwise would not have been empowered was it not for this second chance to broaden their academic horizon. This programme in general was found to be of great assistance because of its flexibility and the professional conduct of the teachers. Unfortunately, the DBE discontinued the programme from the year 2020. This study recommended that the programme be continued, since empowering young people is a key necessity in this country. These youngsters are the leaders of tomorrow in various fields of economic activities; and it will be difficult for them to do so should they fail and drop out of Matric and the academic world. Dropping out will have an impact on the socio-economic ventures of the young people and will even go beyond the youth age and continue to infest poverty status across the nation.

Maikaelelo a thutopatlisiso eno e ne e le go bona maitemogelo a bašwa ba ba nnileng le seabe mo Lenaneong la Tšhono ya Bobedi la Setifikeiti sa Bosetšhaba se Segolwane le le neng le tlamelwa ke Setheo sa Bosetšhaba sa Tlhabololo ya Bašwa (NYDA) mme le neetswe Lefapha la Thuto ya Motheo (DBE) ka 2016. Thuto ya tšhono ya bobedi e theilwe mo mogopolong wa gore 'ka popegotheo e e rulaganeng, motho a ka diragantsa tšhono ya go ithuta e e mo tlodileng gongwe ya go retelelwa ke go falola la ntlha.' Filosofi e thuto ya tšhono ya bobedi e theilweng mo go yona ke ya gore 'diphoso tse di dirilweng ka ditsela tsa go tlhopha tsamaiso ya thuto gongwe di dirilwe ke batho ba ba emisitseng dithuto tsa bona ka bobona di ka baakanngwa moragonyana.' Thutopatlisiso e e dirisitseng dithekeniki tsa mokgwatiriso yo o lebelelang mabaka, e dirilwe kwa West Rand, Gauteng mo Aforikaborwa. Go diragaditswe dipotsolotso tse di batlileng di rulagane le baamogelatshiamelo ba le 30 ba bogolo jo bo magareng ga 18 le 21 ba ba nnileng le seabe mo lenaneong. Ka ntlha ya leroborobo la COVID-19 le matshosetsi a a tsamelanang le lona, thutopatlisiso e dirilwe go dirisiwa dipolatefomo tsa eleketoroniki go tila ditshwaetso tse di ka bakwang ke kamano mo loagong. Go fitlhetswe gore lenaneo le thusitse bašwa ba le bantsi ba ba ka bong ba sa maatlafadiwa fa e ne e se tšhono ya bobedi ya go tsharolola dithuto tsa bona. Ka kakaretso go fitlhetswe lenaneo leno le thusa thata ka ntlha ya go kobega ga lona le maitsholo a seporofešenale a barutabana. Ka bomadimabe, DBE e kgaoditse lenaneo go tloga ka ngwaga wa 2020. Thutopatlisiso e atlenegisitse gore lenaneo le tswelediwe gonne maatlafataso ya bašwa e botlhokwa tota mo nageng eno. Bašwa bano ke baeteledipele ba isago mo maphateng a a farologaneng a ikonomi; mme go tlaa nna boima gore ba dire jalo fa ba sa falole mme ba phuaganya lekwalo la Materiki le thuto. Go phuaganya dithuto go tlaa nna le ditlamorago mo maitekong a ikonomi-loago a bašwa mme go tlaa ba ama le morago ga dingwaga tsa bošwa mme seo se tswelele go oketsa maemo a lehuma go ralala setšhaba.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuthola ukuxhumana ngokoqobo nokubona amaqiniso noma izehlakalo zabantu abasha ababambe iqhaza Esitifiketini Esiphezulu sikaZwelonke (NSC) Uhlelo Lwethuba Lwesibili olwalunikezwa phambilini yiSikhungo Sikazwelonke Sokuthuthukiswa Kwentsha (NYDA) futhi yanikelwa eMnyangweni Wezemfundo Eyisisekelo (DBE) ngo-2016. Imfundo yethuba lesibili isuselwa emcabangweni wokuthi 'ngohlaka oluhleliwe umuntu angakwazi ukusebenzisa ithuba lokufunda elalahleka noma ehluleke okokuqala ngqa. 'Umqondo osekela imfundo yethuba lesibili ukuthi' amaphutha enziwe ngezindlela zokukhetha zohlelo lwezemfundo noma ngabantu abaqeda umsebenzi wabo wokuziphilisa angalungiswa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.' Ucwaningo, obelusebenzisa amasu endlela efaka phakathi ukuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane engeyona eyamanani, lwenziwe eWest Rand, eGauteng eNingizimu Afrika. Izingxoxo ezihleleke kancane zenziwa nabazuzi abangama-30 abaphakathi kweminyaka eyi-18 nengama-21 ababambe iqhaza kulolu hlelo. Ngenxa yobhadane lwe-COVID-19 nezingozi ezihambisana nalo, lolu cwaningo lwenziwa, kusetshenziswa izinkundla ze-e ukugwema ukutheleleka ngokuxhumana nabantu okusondelene eduze. Kutholakale ukuthi uhlelo lusize abantu abasha abaningi abebengeke banikwe amandla ukube bekungelona leli thuba lesibili lokukhulisa izinga labo lokufunda. Lolu hlelo ngokujwayelekile lutholakale lusiza kakhulu ngenxa yokuguquguquka kwalo nokuziphatha kothisha ngobungcweti. Ngeshwa, i-DBE imise uhlelo kusukela ngonyaka ka-2020. Lolu cwaningo luye lwaphakamisa ukuthi lolu hlelo luqhubeke, ngoba ukunika amandla abantu abasha kuyisidingo esisemqoka kuleli zwe. Le ntsha ingabaholi bakusasa emikhakheni ehlukahlukene yemisebenzi yezomnotho; futhi kuzoba nzima kubo ukwenza kanjalo uma behluleka futhi beyeke uMatikuletsheni nomhlaba wezemfundo. Ukuyeka isikole kuzoba nomthelela emisebenzini yezenhlalo nezomnotho yabantu abasha futhi kuzodlula ngisho nangaphezulu kweminyaka yobusha futhi kuqhubeke nokuhlasela isimo sobumpofu esizweni sonke.