JOHANNESBURG, Feb 13 — The strategy of South Africa’s Department of Basic Education to attract young people into teaching is finally paying off with universities in the country now turning away students who want to enter the profession because they have no more places available.

The department says they have granted bursaries to more than 60,000 young people to study teaching in the last few years.

The President of the National Professional Teachers Organization of South Africa (Naptosa), Basil Manuels, said Wednesday that the change had been a pleasant surprise.

“There are various views about why this is happening, the most popular one at the moment is the economy is so bad that people are looking for safer jobs,” he added.

“Education faculties at universities have reported full intake last year and this year. Some of these institutions are in fact turning students away for the first time,” said Manuels.

Source: SABC