The Eastern Cape is the 3rd largest province in South Africa with an estimated population of 6.8 million. The province has for a long time shown relatively poor educational results, with specific reference to Grade 12. Some of the matriculants that qualify for university do not get the opportunity to study further and those that enter do not all graduate or make wrong career choices. A lot of factors can be attributed to the poor results with the key factors being poverty, lack of school infrastructure and school resources (e.g. bursaries & career support) amongst many.

 

Existing tutoring programmes cater for learners that grasp concepts the fastest and those with great potential seeking to understand are marginalized. This usually results in having few students performing outstandingly and the rest not performing. The underperforming students pull down the average results of the schools.

 

This has painted the pathway for the formation of the Phuhlisa programme. The programme aims to cater for all learners and give them support according to their needs.

 

Initial focus will be on the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan with specific focus on previously disadvantaged schools of the city of Port Elizabeth and with time expand to other parts of the Eastern Cape.