DA Joburg South wishes the Class of 2016 success
This is a stressful time for young South Africans completing their secondary schooling. It is also a time for reflection on the past 12 years and a time of excitement and anticipation for what the future holds.
On behalf of the Democratic Alliance (DA), I wish the matric class of 2016 the very best results for their final exams.
This is a stressful time for young South Africans completing their secondary schooling. It is also a time for reflection on the past 12 years and a time of excitement and anticipation for what the future holds.
Quality education, at all levels, remains one of the most powerful tools for unlocking opportunities and removing the unjust chains of poverty and inequality. We, therefore, must ensure that government makes adequate funding available for the poor and that all matriculants who qualify to further their studies but cannot afford to do so are supported in their pursuit to further their studies at the tertiary level.
While we wish the class of 2016 well, we cannot shy away from the frightening prospect of many deserving learners not being accepted at universities due to the ongoing fees protest, which has the potential to create an ‘education backlog’.
As the DA, we agree that the poor should not be excluded from higher education institutions; equally, those who are able to afford the right to education should pay. We cannot accept a “free for all” model of funding for higher education.
The DA will ensure that the doors of learning are opened and that the poor are supported in their right to access quality education.
Good luck to all our matrics in Johannesburg South schools.
MP Manny de Freitas
