The Grade 12 class of 2022 achieved an 80.1% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. Of the learners who successfully obtained an NSC qualification, 278,815 students achieved a bachelor’s pass, 197,357 achieved a diploma pass, and 108,159 achieved a higher certificate pass.
Due to the results achieved by these learners, many are eligible to enrol in academic programmes at universities and colleges in South Africa. However, one of South Africa’s student unions believes the higher education sector does not have the capacity to accommodate all these learners.
South African Union of Students (SAUS) says there is a disparity between the number of individuals who qualify to pursue higher education qualifications and the amount of available space available at universities and colleges to accommodate learners.
SAUS National Spokesperson Asive Dlanjwana says many of the young people who are turned away from universities and colleges due to capacity challenges may find it difficult to obtain employment.
The union argues that the lack of capacity will add more than 500,000 youth to the 3.5 million young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).
Dlanjwana said, “This over half-a-million students who are not going to find placement will go on to feed on top of that 3.5 million so we are very concerned about the lack of capacity in institutions of higher learning.”
They add that only a minority of the students who gain admission to higher learning institutions will enrol in scarce skills programmes. They believe that the majority of courses that students enrol in do not respond to the socio and economic needs of South Africa.
SAUS believes the government must restructure the country’s education system and gear it towards responding to the needs and aspirations of a developmental state.
