Thousands Of School Assistant Employed Under SA Presidential Youth Employment Initiative

The Western Cape Education Department employed approximately 20 000 educational and general assistants at schools during the second phase of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative.

Phase one of the initiative began on the 1st of December 2020 and ended on the 31st of April. Around 300 000 young people participated in the first phase.

More than 287 000 young people between the ages of 18 and 35 were employed as school assistants during the second phase which ends at the end of next month.

The initiative in Basic Education aims to create opportunities for employment in South African schools and to provide teachers with support in the classrooms.

Education assistants support teachers with administrative tasks, classroom management, sports, coaching and cultural activities, while the general school assistants help with cleaning, maintenance, general administration and vegetable gardens.

During phase one, more than 19 000 individuals were employed by the Western Cape Education Department to ensure teaching and learning continued in a safe environment.

School assistants gained valuable work experience and received training in various fields.

The initiative was welcomed by the Education sector as it allowed teachers to focus on their main duty of teaching, while the assistants engaged in supportive roles to learners.

Currently, all learners have returned to full-time learning, so parents are encouraged to ensure that their children attend school daily to ensure that no learning time is lost.