North West Premier Thandi Modise says her office will award bursaries to deserving learners, specifically those intending to study science, mathematics and commerce. The North West achieved an 82.2% matric pass-rate.

Modise says it is possible for the province to improve its matric results, as long as education stakeholders commit themselves to making it a reality.

“We are interested in the skills which are scarce in this province which make us underperform. That is in accounting and all the financial disciplines. It is in engineering, medicine, and because we are an agricultural province, it is in agriculture. I did challenge the provincial government to produce 90% or more. It is possible.”

Meanwhile Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says government is putting a lot of effort in increasing bursaries for poor students. Nzimande also says government is working hard at raising the quality of FET Colleges.

The Minister urged school leavers to explore opportunities to study at institutions of higher learning other than universities.

He says school leavers should consider studying at FETs which cater for those who do not pass grade 12.

“Our own view is that the skills that we are short of as a country and in the numbers that we require them can only be acquired through FET Colleges; therefore we would like to see FET Colleges as institutions of choice for many of our youngsters to go and acquire a variety of skills that are only offered at the FET College. Government is putting a lot of effort in raising the quality of FET Colleges as well as increasing bursaries for poor students.”