The Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development through the Department of Social Development tabled a report on the Basic Education Strengthening Project (BESP).
The BESP is financially supported by the World Bank.
The workshop focused on the progress report on BESP performance, challenges and the way forward for the second phase of programmes.
The Director Planning and also the acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Mankhotho Linko said the BESP is an initiative of the Department of Social Development, the Ministry of Education and Training and the World Bank.
Mrs. Linko said this project aims to improve the retention of students in the junior secondary education component, saying this project is to assist students from needy families to attend and complete school.
She said through this project, students are assisted with bursaries that cover their school fees, examination fees books and other needs, noting that fees are paid directly into school accounts.
She added that they expected to register 9000 children for this programme but only 3000 were registered, however saying due to the terms of application registration, only 1683 students were granted bursaries.
Mrs. Linko said due to the challenges that children experience at school, the Ministry of Education and Training has established social clubs in schools to promote harmony and a conducive environment for every child not to feel excluded.
The acting Principal Secretary shared that the bursary has been extended as now learners from primary school up to grade 11 can benefit from it, saying this means more help for students to continue with their studies.
However, she mentioned that their findings have revealed a high rate of student dropouts compared to the previous years.
She said they have discussed the plan for the next phase where they talked about what more they could do to make education even better and make a difference in children’s lives.
This initiative started in February 2022 and is expected to end in 2025
By Staff Reporter: Noliwe Velaphe
