FETs and State Failure

 

(published in Financial Mail)

 

The article “ Fixing the Colleges” (FM 6/2/13) epitomises everything that is wrong with our government. First we have Gwebs Qonde, whose response to the worst kept secret in South Africa, the FETs appallingly low pass rate, is not to accept the problem , and to explain how he will fix it, but to try and cover it up, on the grounds that it is “not fair”. The people who it is really not fair to are the youngsters enrolled at these colleges. Then we have our  Minister Blade Nzimande, calling on business “ to offer internships to 11 000 FET students”. This should have been designed into the FET curriculum from the start , given that everywhere else in the world vocational training is always linked to on the job work experience to ensure that the skills being required are those that are in demand in the workplace, It’s painfully simple and obvious. Instead,  under the leadership of Messrs Qonde and Nzimande lies a large part of the reason for South Africa’s huge youth unemployment challenge.

 

Dr Gavin Lewis

DA MPL Gauteng Legislature