“Socio-economic success for the youth of South Africa is only possible if the focus shifts from tertiary education and employment to early childhood development.”
That’s what Tammy Breedt, Vryheidsfront Plus MP and national youth leader, said on Youth Day on Friday.
“The country cannot hope for a better outcome in children’s teenage years if attention is not given to their development from birth.
“The current figures are frightening: Only 1.6 million or 72% of children under the age of six are enrolled in an early learning program to prepare them for school. That number was closer to two million before the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Breedt says that of the existing pre-school development centers only 40% are registered, while a scant 52% of staff have the necessary qualifications.
She believes the poor quality of schooling is further failing the country’s youth and reducing their chances of socio-economic progress.
“It is particularly worrying that there was a net loss of schools during the ANC regime. Schools offering mother tongue education have also decreased.
“Only 40% of pupils who have gr. 1 start, finally pass matric. In terms of literacy, the picture is bleak. According to international research conducted in 2016, around 78% of gr. 4 pupils in South Africa do not read with comprehension, compared to 4% internationally.”
Breedt says the level of teaching in mathematics and science is just as poor.
“In 2015, the International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development assessed the quality of these two subjects in 76 countries and high school students in South Africa were 75th, one place ahead of Ghana which was last.
“While the country has a critical shortage of skills, the government still does not encourage the youth to qualify them and is only focused on university degrees as a post-school qualification.”
According to Breedt, these “skewed priorities and legislation regarding affirmative action” create a misplaced expectation among the youth that you don’t have to work for what you want.
Furthermore, the ANC discourages businesses from providing work as with the latest legislation’s impossible racial prescriptions for employment.
“The youth can only be lifted out of poverty by ensuring that they have jobs. To do this, an environment must be created that is conducive to job creation. Currently it does not exist.”
