A partnership between Strand Secondary School and the Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet) group operating from the school will see skills training offered at the school.
According to Shakoor Vallie, coordinator of the Abet group, the project is long overdue. He said: “We toiled with the idea for many years, but dismally failed many students in the past due to our conventional thinking that mainstream education is the only way to transfer knowledge and that any other type of education is inferior.”
Vallie added many learners opt to drop out of school when they can’t cope.
“Many countries are years ahead of us, as skills training is being implemented and transferred from an early age. For many South Africans a Grade 12 qualification is the ultimate achievement, but we are not realising that education has changed over the past 10 years.”
Many South African students still don’t realise an education at a vocational institution is the equivalent of a National Senior Certificate, Vallie pointed out, adding that students at vocational institutions are prepared to enter the market immediately.
“With an unemployment rate of 40% in SA it will become more challenging to source and secure a job,” he related. “It will be best to train people for self-employment, and this is the way to compete with formal businesses.
“Entrepreneurship will be the key to boost our economy and the more people we can provide a skill, the more stable our communities will become. Instability within our communities is a disease that needs to be addressed.”
In addition, the downward spiral of matric pass rates since 1994 and the poor conditions and resources of township schools is leading to more children enrolling at former model C schools, Vallie added.
“Townships have lost their future role models to the more affluent schools, which has led to the decline and negative affect of the Grade 12 pass rate,” he said. “Some of these schools were top schools and produced many professionals from our communities in the past.”
The skills training offering at Strand Secondary will start with sewing and massage classes on Saturday 12 March, with community members and Abet students having availed themselves to present the empowerment short courses. Vallie has issued an urgent plea to members of the Helderberg community skilled in various industries to volunteer their time to share their knowledge, especially retired teachers, through the project.
“We also hope the government will buy into the project to assist with the necessary tools, machinery and material required to make the project successful,” he related. “We also appeal to local businesses to assist us in our efforts to uplift our communities.”
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For more information on the training or to get involved, contact Vallie on 078 392 9842.
