Prison inmates pass matric with flying colours

WHILE they faced a tough year in the country’s prisons under Covid-19, inmates who wrote the 2020 matric exams showed they are a force to be reckoned with.

Five inmates from the correctional schools achieved a 100% pass rate.

The Class of 2020 also boasted 76 distinctions and 78 Bachelor’s passes.

Some of the inmates obtained distinctions in subjects such as Mathematics, Accounting, Physical Science and Agricultural Sciences.

As in the previous year, 160 learners registered for the matric exams, of which 130 passed. Nineteen inmates received higher certificate passes, while 33 received diploma passes.

There are 17 correctional schools across the country.

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola yesterday congratulated the matriculants when he released the marks during a ceremony at the Leeuwkop Correctional Centre in Johannesburg north.

Lamola said the results proved the department had created a conducive environment for learning in correctional centres, and the schools were ideally structured like a normal school found in the community.

They consist of classrooms, a staff room, ablution facilities, libraries and other amenities.

Inmates who attend school are also housed in distinctive cells, to ensure they are not easily disrupted by the general inmate population.

“Educational attainment in the department has been significantly improving, looking at the pass rate that inmates have been achieving over the years,” Lamola said.

For the 2020 academic year, fulltime learners achieved a pass percentage of 86.3%. When inclusive of parttime learners, correctional services are standing at 81.3 pass rate. In 2018, there was a pass rate of 77.3%, and in 2019 the pass rate was 82.6%.

Lamola said the department’s focus was not only on access to education but also on the provision of quality education.

“Our responsibility is not to judge them and confine them to the dark books of life. But, we need to ignite a sense of hope and renewal. That is what rehabilitation is all about. It is the rejuvenation of an individual towards his or her true worth.”

The best performing learner was Lwazi Chamane from Usethubeni Youth under Durban Management Area in KwaZulu-Natal, with an average of 80.6% and four distinctions.

Lamola was pleased while the inmates faced a tough 2020, their results improved. “We will continue to provide opportunities for inmates to complete high school education and go further to pursue tertiary education with institutions of higher learning if their families can afford to sponsor their studies, or if inmates successfully apply for bursaries.”