10 Feb 2014

Back-to-School Programme has absorbed 33 044 applicants out of the 67 526 registered in 2012, Parliament has been informed.

Answering a question in Parliament on February 6, Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Patrick Masimolole said the number had exceeded the annual target of 20 000. He said the remaining applicants would be considered in subsequent academic years.

Giving the programme progress in Kgalagadi, he said, in 2012 there was a total of 1881 applicants, out of which 554 were reabsorbed into the education system. In Ghanzi, he said, there were 1831 applicants out of which 78 were reabsorbed into the education system.

Mr Masimolole was answering a question from MP for Kgalagadi North, Mr Phillip Khwae who wanted to know whether there had been any progress on the Back-to-School Programme nationally since inception and to state progress made on this programme in the Kgalagadi and Ghanzi districts to date. Ends