Compulsory education for convicts on the cards

Convicted prisoners who do not have a Grade Nine or higher qualification, will have to get one, it was reported on Tuesday.

Correctional Services Minister Sibusiso Ndebele had announced that from April 1, it would be compulsory for prisoners to complete Adult Education and Training (ABET) levels one to four, Beeld reported.

Ndebele made the announcement at the department's annual awards evening in Polokwane at the weekend.

The newspaper reported that Ndebele said prisons were "not holiday destinations where you just eat and sleep" and that prisoners needed to walk out of the doors with at least a certificate and a skill.

Last year, the matric pass rate for convicts was reportedly 79% compared to 68% in 2011.

Ndebele said the pilot project designed to electronically monitor paroled prisoners had been a success.

The project, which was started last February, and could also be extended to prisoners serving their sentences inside