Gov’t owes millions in Back-To-School exam fees

The Back-To-School Programme was rolled out three years ago following the record low results of the 2012 national exams. Then Minister of Education and Skills Development, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi introduced the initiative to give young people a second chance to further their studies and improve their grades.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Statutory Bodies and Public Enterprises, BEC executive secretary, Professor Brian Mokopakgosi said government had only settled examinations sitting fees for the first intake under the programme. A total of 97,000 dropouts and failures were recorded in the first intake of February 2013, but only 67,000 registered under the Back-To-School Programme.