Staff Reporter.
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola has announced an 87.5% pass rate for prisoners who wrote the matric exams in 2022.
This is an improvement of 10.5% compared to the 77% achieved in the 2021 academic year.
Lamola announced the results for inmates at St Albans Correctional Centre in the Eastern Cape on Monday.
A total of 203 inmates sat for the matric exam and 202 passed.
A total of 122 received bachelor’s passes, 56 received Diploma passes and 10,4% achieved Higher Certificates.
Lamola said 77% of offenders qualified for access to tertiary education at a university or a college.
A total of eleven Correctional Services Schools received 100% pass rate, an improvement from last year’s eight.
“Education in correctional centres has long-term benefits for the country, ex-offenders with no or little education have lower prospects of finding gainful employment and they resort to crime as they cannot overcome the myriad of barriers they have to contend with,” said Lamola.
“We have seen education restoring inmates’ self-esteem and social competence. Among our ex-offenders, we count among others, professors, doctors (PHD), and people of high esteem.”
Lamola added society needs to stop discriminating against ex-offenders and denying them opportunities.
“Why should communities overlook plumbers, bricklayers, tilers, and mechanics on the basis of them being ex-offenders? Where should they utilise their acquired skills if their own communities turn their backs on their efforts to earn an honest living?
“Whilst we understand that employers can use their discretion when hiring people based on an objective and just criteria, we must also remember that there is no law which says we should not employ people on account of a criminal record.”