• The Department of Basic Education has launched the next phase of an initiative to create 255 000 jobs for youths in the education sector with a focus on the foundation phase.
• Most of the positions will be for so-called “Curriculum Assistants” that will support teachers and learners in a vein similar to tutors.
• The first cohort of the initiative has already launched, with the second expected on 1st March 2023.

The South African government, specifically the Department of Basic Education (DBE), is targeting the creation of 255 000 jobs for youths across all of the country’s provinces.

This comes as part of the latest phase of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), which began on Wednesday 1st February. The government claims phases one to three produced 850 000 job opportunities since the onset of the initiative.

According to the SA News, most of the jobs will be created in the Basic Education sector in the form of “Curriculum Assistants,” which are basically tutors to serve under teachers in public schools.

“Curriculum Assistants are not teachers and are not required to teach, as teaching and assessment remains the responsibility of the teacher. Reading Champions will assist learners with reading to ensure that they can read for meaning,” explains the DBE.

Creating jobs for Curriculum Assistants then is a two-prong problem solver: part creating jobs for youth and part strengthening the support for public school learners and their teachers, especially in the foundation phase of grade R to grade 3.

“The PYEI-BEEI leverages on the fact that there is a public school in every community in South Africa, which is an enabler for government to provide job opportunities to the most vulnerable youth, who under normal circumstances might have to leave their communities to access opportunities,” the department adds.

As part of the initiative, public schools around the country will be looking to employ youths to serve as assistants to teachers. The first cohort has already begun, with the second starting on 1st March 2023.

“The department welcomes all the youth to the PYEI-BEEI and encourages them to take full advantage of the opportunities that they will get throughout their contract period, these job opportunities can catapult them into even greater things and allow them to develop as professionals,” enthused National Project Manager, Lala Maje.

[Image – Scott Graham on Unsplash]