Education boost for Qalakabusha inmates

QALAKABUSHA Prison launched the opening of their secondary school and FET College on Tuesday in an attempt to enhance offenders’ successful reintegration into society.

‘Our role is to ensure the provision of formal education programmes nationally. Through observations, it is evident that education changes attitudes,’ said Deputy Director Education Programmes and Services: Formal Education Directorate Zanele Mkosi.

‘The establishment of this school will positively affect our community in that offenders accept education as a form of social correction, and in turn develop skills and emotional maturity. These people are then able to go out and be responsible citizens,’ said Qalakabusha Secondary School and FET College Principal, Vusi Luthuli.

‘They could potentially host crime campaigns to impart knowledge to the youth on the importance of education and thereby contribute to a decrease in crime and convictions,’ said Luthuli.

The enrolment for this academic year totals 466 students, with 20 educators employed.

‘We live in a country where our society is uneducated. We need to bring about change. We have turned our prisons into learning centres and upon this rock we will build our people,’ said Minister of Correctional Services, Sibusiso Ndebele.

‘Education is central to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of offenders and in reducing the number of repeat offenders. Education and skills development are crucial elements to break the cycle of crime,’ said Ndebele.

More than 5 500 of sentenced offenders are completely illiterate and at least 34 000 have not passed education level 4 or Grade 9. Youth constitute nearly 70% of offenders in Correctional Centres.

In 2012 Ndebele launched the ‘Reading for Redemption Campaign’, urging the public and private sectors to donate books.

Qalakabusha Senior Secondary School has benefitted with donations of more than 3 800 books from five publishers and institutions.