De Lille was speaking during the launch of the DA's Education Campaign and Youth Wage Subsidy for the Northern Cape in Kimberley.(SABC)
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The Democratic Alliance's (DA) Patricia De Lille has raised concerns regarding 23 matriculants who have failed to write matric examinations in Olifantshoek due to protests. She was speaking during the launch of the DA's Education Campaign and Youth Wage Subsidy for the Northern Cape in Kimberley today.
The campaign, if implemented, will transform the education system in the Northern Cape.
She says the campaign has proven to be a huge success in the Western Cape, and could be the answer to the province's poor governance, which has led to the disruption of schooling in Olifantshoek.
De Lille says the ongoing tension in Olifantshoek is caused by infighting within the ruling party.
“You've got two premiers in the Northern Cape, one is getting paid sitting at home, the other one is getting paid for acting on behalf of that premier. We've seen no leadership when our education of young people in Olifantshoek has been hijacked by in-fights within the ruling party. So we are very concerned that a number of matriculants are not able to write their matric (exams) because the parents were not consulted. We have to rectify that because it's one year missing in the life of a child.”
"It is so painful to know that R 9 billion that government has set aside to help young people but it has been stopped by COSATU"
She has also put the blame for the failure to implement the youth wage subsidy in other provinces, on the trade unions door step.
“It is so painful to know that government has set aside R9 billion to help young people, but it has been stopped by Cosatu. In the Western Cape we've implemented the youth wage subsidy with the money from government and it's working, we've been able to give hundreds of young people an opportunity to have a job and to be trained on the job", says De Lille.
She says they are confident that they will win the 2014 elections in the Northern Cape and, in return, they will ensure that education becomes their number one priority.
