Africa-Press – South-Africa. As the country celebrates Youth Month, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says high unemployment continues to be a concern.
During a media briefing on Sunday, Motshekga said young people needed to be equipped with skills that would sustain them for their future.
“We have a responsibility to create employment opportunities, particularly for the youth who are neither in employment, education nor training,” Motshekga said.
The department said it would be implementing the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI).
Now in its fourth phase, the Basic Education Employment Initiative seeks to give effect to the objectives of the PYEI, which is South Africa’s most comprehensive response to addressing rampant youth unemployment.
This phase will see 255 000 young people appointed in ordinary public schools as well as schools for pupils with special education needs across the country, Motshekga said.
Last month, News24 Business reported that the official unemployment rate increased by 0.2 of a percentage point to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2023.
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey showed the number of unemployed people increased by 179 000 to 7.9 million.
Motshekga also said reading was crucial in getting young people to understand their role in society. Over the past month, there has been a raging debate about reading in schools.
The ongoing public discourse on reading literacy intensified when the Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) results were released on 16 May.
According to the department, the report confirmed that South Africa, like all countries, saw lower primary reading competencies decline due to pandemic-related school disruptions.
“The magnitude of our decline relating to the pandemic does not come as a surprise. South Africa was among the countries most actively gauging impacts on learning outcomes during the pandemic,” said Motshekga.
“The results we see now in PIRLS are in line with earlier findings.”
The department said this was concerning and informed the government’s emphasis on addressing reading at the foundation phase.
“It is important to reiterate that we are one of only three African countries brave enough to participate in PIRLS. We were also the only country to put forward all our official languages in the study,” Motshekga added.
According to Motshekga, parents and caregivers have a critical role to play as they are a child’s first, and most important, teachers during their early years.
“While the Department of Basic Education plays a significant role in supporting early literacy skills and teaching children how to read, the entire ecosystem must be involved.
“Schools play a crucial role in providing reading materials, especially for families who rely solely on them. I look forward to a deeper analysis of the PIRLS data by researchers inside and outside the government,” said Motshekga.
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