South Africa University Students Ponder Future

February 18, 2012

Students queue outside the University of Johannesburg to register for this year's studies, January 10, 2012.

At the end of last year, about 350,000 Grade 12 students in South Africa passed their final exams. While some celebrated, others pondered their next move. In reality, a very small group of those who had passed, had achieved grades good enough to qualify for university admission. And of this reduced pool, very few can afford to pay for their tertiary education.

While South African education officials celebrate last year’s 70.2 percent Grade 12 pass rate, the party’s over for many of those secondary school graduates, who are now scratching their heads, unsure of what to do next. Just about 24 percent of the graduates have the grades necessary to apply to universities.

And while some have since started their tertiary education careers, what has happened to the rest? Many say they simply couldn’t afford to study further, or their grades wouldn’t allow it.

Down payment

Despite the obstacles, talking to young people like Samuel Jacobs, 18, it’s clear that education is greatly valued, and is seen as a down payment, on a successful future.

“A tertiary education basically sets up your future, because if you don’t have a tertiary education, you’ll probably be a blue collared worker and be earning a little money, and then life is going to be so much more difficult for you,” he said.