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Green Paper on National Youth Service
National Youth Commission in the
Office of the Deputy President
OCTOBER 1998
Youth Service for National Development
CONTENTS
Call for Submissions
Preamble
Executive Summary
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
- CHAPTER 1 - Introduction
- CHAPTER 2 - A Conceptual Framework for
National Youth Service
- CHAPTER 3 - Programmes and Incentivies
- CHAPTER 4 - Institutional Arrangements
for National Youth Service
- CHAPTER 5 - Funding and Resourcing the
National Youth Service
- CHAPTER 6 - Next Steps in Establising
the National Youth Service
SECTION 2: OPPORTUNITIES, CAPACITY AND POLICY TRENDS
- CHAPTER 7 - Opportunities for Youth Service
in Government Programmes
- CHAPTER 8 - Interface between national
Youth Service and Human Resource Development PolicIes
- CHAPTER 9 - Situation Analysis of the
Capacity available to the National Youth Service
- APPENDICES
CALL TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS
To all heads of departments at the national, provincial and local
government levels, Youth organisations, student formation, education training institutions
community-based, and other non-governmental organisations
Your participation is kindly requested to make a contribution in
developing a policy framework for National Youth Service
The closing date for written submissions is January 30 1999 Written
responses and queries must be addressed to:
The Chief Executive Officer
National Youth Commission
Private bag X938
Pretoria
0001
Fax: (012) 324-4759
Tel: (012) 325-3702
Thank your for your participation
PREAMBLE
Between February and the middle of October 1998, the Technical Team on the National
Youth Service Green Paper was tasked with the development of a policy framework and
strategies for establishing and building a national youth service for South Africa. The
Commission is pleased to release this long awaited Green Paper, particularly in the
context of the Job Summit and the opportunities it places before our youth.
The purpose of this Green Paper is to invite public participation, particularly youth
and youth formations, in making input to the proposed framework and strategies. As part of
the Commission's policy making initiative, the Green Paper on the National Youth Service
is a realisation of one of the major policy objective of Youth Policy 2000.
Although this document ushers South Africa to join the many international countries in
the implementation of the youth service concept, it also presents an innovative approach
and model that locates the proposed national Youth Services in our historical reality and
seeks to contribute to various government interventions by placing young people at the
centre of national reconstruction and development.
The approach and framework stresses the cross-cutting nature of Youth Service and
therefore complements governments policy of inter-governmental and civil society
cooperation and coordination. While some Youth Service programmes will be prioritised and
accredited, based on criteria outlined in the Green Paper, community driven youth services
will be encouraged as part of building the required critical mass of provision and the
support that is needed to accelerate opportunities for youth.
I take this opportunity to thank members of the everyone who supported and contributed
to the development of this discussion document: the Deputy Presidents Office; provincial
stakeholders and role players who participated in our preliminary policy discussion;
provincial and national Commissioners; members of the inter-departmental Reference Group
and in particular members of the Technical Team..
Mahlengi Bhengu
Chairperson
National Youth Commission
November 1998
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
National youth service provides a long-term and effective means of reconstructing South
African society whilst simultaneously developing the abilities of young people through
service and learning. Reconstruction includes the physical rehabilitation and renovation
of community resources, such as buildings and land, as well as providing the more
intangible, but perhaps more critical, service of rebuilding communities. Reconstruction
also includes the task of ensuring that young people have a valued and significant role to
play within their communities and that they enjoy access to the opportunities they require
to make a healthy transition to adulthood.
The National Youth Service is a structured entity proposed in this Green Paper. It will
be established by government to provide various types of support to a wide diversity of
youth service programmes operating within the framework of service, learning and
development according to agreed values, principles and criteria, as defined in this Green
Paper.
The document is divided into two sections, the last section provides strategic
information on available opportunities in government programmes, an outline of existing
and potential institutional capacity and a review of relevant policy trends.
Chapter One - Introduction
Chapter One provides policy background to the initiative of the National Youth Service
and relates the Green Paper to existing complementary government policies and programmes.
It briefly sketches the context related to the situation of youth within the broader
development challenge of the country and presents the four key target groups that are
central to the design of the proposed policy framework.
South Africa=s population is predominantly young. Seventy two per cent of the total
population is under 35 while 39% of the population is aged between 14 and 35, the national
definition of youth. A brief overview of the education, which also examines the
relationship between education and employment, indicates that 28% of all youth in South
Africa have achieved only some level of primary school education or less and that there
are significant variations according to race. There is also a strong relationship between
educational level attained and the desire to continue with education.
Although education and unemployment are inter-related, poor education is not the only
reason for the high levels of youth unemployment. For example, young women experience
higher rates of unemployment than young men across all race groups. Unemployment has
profound social and psychological effects on young people and, given that this is likely
to have a long-term impact on South Africa=s overall development, it points to the need
for programmes addressing issues of employment to do so in a comprehensive and integrated
manner.
Little data is available on how many young people are involved in the judicial and
prison systems. What is known is that increasing numbers of young people are coming into
conflict with the law and do not have access to programmes that can adequately
rehabilitate them into society.
Chapter Two - Conceptual Framework
Chapter Two provides the conceptual framework for the National Youth Service. It sets
out a vision for national youth service, formulates four key objectives and articulates a
statement of values which should inform the development of national youth service
programmes in South Africa. Four international models of national youth service are
briefly described, following which the chapter locates the concept of service in the South
African context, relating it to national development objectives and government initiatives
such as special employment programmes and learnerships.
The chapter recommends that a National Youth Service be established to create an
enabling environment for all youth service initiatives which aim to benefit communities
and are in line with national development objectives. The National Youth Service would
have the responsibility of providing financial, capacity building, administrative and
coordinative support for specific initiatives which meet the criteria described in Chapter
Six. Primary beneficiaries of national youth service are defined as communities, and
disadvantaged communities in particular, and young people participating in the service
programmes. A secondary beneficiary, but one which is equally important, is the labour
market and the broad economy which will benefit from the skills, responsibility and civic
values developed in the course of well-structured national youth service programmes.
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In order to ensure that programmes yield benefit to participants and to the recipients
of service, it is recommended that a mixed approach be adopted initially towards
participation in a National Youth Service. This means that it may be compulsory for some
target groups to participate (eg. as part of their study requirement), while in the case
of other target groups, voluntary participation may be most effective.
Six operating principles for the National Youth Service are defined. The are: service
learning, sustainable development, the need for incentives in order to ensure that the
families of participants do not suffer financial hardship, accredited learning, criteria
for the selection of community sites for service, and the development of a culture of
self-reliance. Finally, the chapter articulates some assumptions that inform the design of
the National Youth Service and could affect its impact.
Chapter Three - Programmes and Incentives
This chapter examines the programmes that would broadly fall within the National Youth
Service. It distinguishes between programmes that will be accredited by the National Youth
Service and those which are not likely to be accredited, and proposes a number of criteria
that could inform this prioritisation. Among the criteria are those which concern
programme components, those which relate to the nature of the service and those which
concern the duration of the service programme.
The chapter outlines what form the accredited programmes may take for each target
group. It suggests that the emphasis of individual programmes will thus differ, depending
on the nature of the programmes and the needs of the target group. The programme elements
described in this Green Paper are not intended to be prescriptive, but illustrate how
programmes can be designed for the different target groups and how they meet the criteria
in each case.
The analysis assumes that, besides the accredited programmes, there are likely to be a
wide range of other youth programmes in operation which are important in several respects,
but which will not be considered to be accredited National Youth Service programmes.
The chapter explores incentives for participants in terms of the possible benefits
which would accrue to participants and communities from National Youth Service programmes
and concludes by outlining a process by means of which the discussion about youth service
programmes could be taken forward.
Chapter Four - Institutional Arrangements for National Youth Service
The chapter contains recommendations for the establishment of a National Youth Service
Agency that will provide overall co-ordination as well as provide for direct programmatic
involvement by the provincial and local co-ordination agencies, and proposes a range of
functions for each of these.
It is envisaged that a broad range of agencies, corporations and institutions will
implement national youth service programmes in ways which are designed to reach key target
groups identified and to meet their service learning objectives. The planning, funding and
implementation of programmes should take place through the joint efforts of government,
non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and organisations in the youth sector.
Given the cross-cutting nature of the national youth service programmes, the National
Youth Commission and the Office of the President will be responsible for initiating and
overseeing the establishment of the National Youth Service, including putting in place the
required institutional arrangements. Various governments departments will play a defined
role in programme design, accreditation, and implementation and it is recommended that all
sections of government involved in development programmes should be reoriented to
incorporate youth service programmes within their institutional arrangements and action
plans.
Chapter Five - Funding and Resourcing the National Youth Service
This chapter puts forward some broad conceptual issues about the question of funding
and resources for the National Youth Service. It points out that the South African
government presently has five priorities in terms of the national budget: meeting basic
needs, investment in infrastructure, developing human resources, sustained economic growth
and job creation, and ensuring safety and security. The principles and programmes of the
National Youth Service proposed in this document have been developed in a manner which is
consistent with these priorities. The chapter suggests that the funding of National Youth
Service programmes will therefore be accorded the same priority as the funding of the five
national development priorities cited above. The programme conception will need to be
costed during the pilot phase.
The chapter then looks at the resources that could be available from within government,
the private sector, non-governmental organisations and international donors. It briefly
outlines the experience of national youth service programmes in other countries and raises
four issues in regard to devising a resourcing strategy for national youth service.
Finally, the chapter recommends principles and strategies to guide the resourcing of the
South African National Youth Service. The recommendations in this chapter relate closely
to the recommendations made on programmes and incentives in Chapter Six and institutional
arrangements in Chapter Eight.
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Chapter Six - Next Steps in Establishing the National Youth Service
This chapter outlines a programmatic implementation strategy that will be pursued
parallel to the policy and legislative process that follows this Green Paper.
The National Youth Commission will facilitate the implementation of proposals in the
Green Paper over a period of three years. In order to lay the ground for the launch of the
National Youth Service in the year 2000, a limited number of projects will be implemented
in 1999 to put in place the medium-term institutional arrangements. Parallel to this
initiative, the Youth Commission will conclude the Green Paper process by developing a
White Paper and related legislation by October 1999. Following the launch of the National
Youth Service Agency and the National Youth Service Programme in the year 2000, a two-year
development programme will be pursued and evaluated at the end 2001, leading to
medium-term consolidation.
Pilot project activities include securing broad stakeholder participation and
establishing an interim coordination structure for the implementation and evaluation of
the pilot projects. The Interim structure will also develop a medium-term financial plan
based on costing models derived from pilot and related activities, and building an
awareness of the need for a national youth service and its benefits to communities, young
people and the economy.
The chapter concludes with a set of recommendations that point to the immediate steps
that need to be undertaken in order to lay the foundations for the National Youth Service.
These will include the introduction of short-term initiatives while laying the groundwork
for ensuring that the youth service can go to scale. The recommendations are intended to
ensure that the unemployed youth target group will immediately benefit from this
programme, while other target groups will benefit once the recommended processes have been
concluded. It is the intention of the National Youth Commission that 1999 be a year in
which young people start becoming effectively involved in service whilst simultaneously
accessing learning opportunities.
Chapter Seven - Opportunities for Youth Service in Government Programmes
This chapter provides a broad overview of the initiatives and programmes that are
currently being undertaken by government and which provide opportunities for service by
young people. They include infrastructural programmes (such as those undertaken in regard
to electrification, the provision of telephones, transport and housing), special
employment programmes (undertaken in sectors such as public works, water, land, and the
environment), municipal infrastructure programmes, and projects launched by the Department
of Trade and Industry.
The chapter also outlines the social services programmes that have been developed by
the Departments of Welfare, Health and Education and the initiatives launched by the
Department of Justice in regard to the transformation of the judicial system. In all of
these programmes, youth are already a specific target group and the National Youth Service
is one of the mechanisms through which the programme objectives could be met. The South
African National Defence Force Service Corps is the only example of a programme that was
explicitly established as a service programme.
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Preparations for the Jobs Summit have included a number of proposals targeting young
people and these could be critical to the success of the National Youth Service. Two types
of programmes being proposed include the establishment of youth brigades for unemployed
young people and young people out of school, and student service, a proposal which still
needs refinement. This Green Paper provides an initiative in which these proposals, and
others, could be located and suggests that the National Youth Commission would need to be
integral to the work of the steering committee responsible for planning the youth
programmes. The chapter recommends that where possible, the existing management structures
of these programmes could provide support to the delivery of national youth service
components within the programmes.
Chapter Eight - Interface between National Youth Service and Human Resources
Development Policies
This chapter examines the relationship between the National Youth Service and a range
of policies that are central to the transformation and development of the education and
training system. It establishes that the policy reforms currently being put in place are
specifically designed to meet the needs of those young people who are targeted to form
part of national youth service programmes.
The chapter identifies the National Qualifications Framework as critical to the ability
of the National Youth Service to deliver effective education and training programmes to
the target groups identified. Although the qualifications are still in the process of
being designed, the development of standards and quality assurance structures are
important because they will enable the National Youth Service to provide participants with
education and training programmes which are accredited and receive national recognition.
The proposals contained in the Skills Bill are of particular importance to the National
Youth Service. The Bill recognises the need for the provision of education and training to
young people that are out of work and out of school; it emphasises the importance of
linking learning with practical experience; it requires that education and training must
be accredited and provides for structures that will be able to play this quality assurance
role; and finally it provides a funding mechanism for such programmes. Although there are
some important distinctions between learning through service and the learnership system,
the chapter suggests that in providing opportunities for service learning, the National
Youth Service compliments the learnership strategy.
Both the Further Education and Training Bill and the White Paper on Higher Education
contain elements which are supportive of the orientation of the National Youth Service
since both open up the possibility of integrating service into the curricula of learning
institutions in which many of the potential youth service participants are located. The
chapter recommends that the National Youth Service work in conjunction with the
recommendations of the multi-year implementation plan for Adult Basic Education and
Training so as to incorporate adult basic education and training provision in national
youth service programmes as is required to meet the needs of the target groups.
Chapter Nine - Situation Analysis of the Capacity Available to the National Youth
Service
Currently, in South Africa only the non-governmental sector has experience in
delivering youth service programmes. A range of non-governmental organisations have
developed programmes that engage young people in service as a method of providing youth
development opportunities, but to date the experience gained by these organisations has
not been tapped in any formal way. Non-governmental and community-based organisations
operating in the youth sector have the capacity to assist the National Youth Service with
curriculum and materials development, programme design and programme staff training, as
well as provide access to young people and assist with recruitment and programme delivery.
Most youth work in South Africa presently takes place on a voluntary basis and while
this indicates that wide acceptance of a culture of voluntarism and service already exists
among young people, it does raise a number of issues which require careful consideration.
These include the varying range of standards in programme and service delivery, the need
for support materials, and the strategic question of how to stimulate organisations so
that their operations become more sustainable.
The chapter outlines the nature of provision in the higher education and further
education and training sectors. It suggests that the Department of Education=s review of
the funding formulae in the higher education sector provides an opportunity to examine the
option of supporting service as an integral component of curriculum reform, where this is
appropriate to the objectives of the learning programmes concerned. Similarly, the
opportunity exists in the further education and training policy environment for the
National Youth Service to influence the transformation of this sector.
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Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
This introduction sketches the context and process of developing the Green Paper. It
highlights the link between the Green Paper and other major government policy initiatives
and underscores the interface between national youth service and government's principle of
constructive partnerships. It also outlines the situation which the National Youth Service
seeks to address, and defines the four target groups of youth that will be prioritised for
participation in the Service.
1 Origins
The Green Paper on the National Youth Service is a significant follow up by government on
provisions of (1) the Reconstruction and Development Programme (1994) and (2) the Youth
Policy 2000 (1997). The contribution of the National Youth Service is conceived within the
parameters of South Africa's commitment to national development and the development of
young people as a dynamic workforce for the 21st century.
Both policy documents identify the National Youth Service as a key initiative for human
resource development and for promoting a culture of service towards communities and
society. These policy documents recognise that young women and men in South Africa have
played a major role in the achievement of freedom ... and are our country's most important
resource that must be equipped to play a major role in the reconstruction and development
of South Africa.
1.1 RDP and the National Youth Service
Responding to the challenge of youth development in South Africa, the Reconstruction and
Development Programme asserts that:
Youth development must focus on education and training, job creation and enabling
young people to realise their full potential and participate in society and their future.
It must restore the hope of our youth in the future, and in their capacity to channel
their resourcefulness and energy into reconstruction and development.
The RDP recognises that, by involving the youth in community service projects such as
literacy, welfare, health, public works, peace monitoring and other priority national
projects, the National Youth Service, when established, would play a significant role in
creating an environment for youth empowerment and development in line with the Plan of
Action of the International Convention on the Rights of Children.
This Green Paper, in line with the RDP, proposes the establishment of a national
institution to coordinate the National Youth Service in consultation with community,
private and public sectors. It agrees with the RDP that Aappropriate government
departments must more forcefully represent youth interests, including through the
allocation of resources to organisations involved with youth work.
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1.2 The National Youth Policy 2000
The National Youth Policy 2000 was produced by the National Youth Commission and based on
extensive public participation processes and research, through sectoral workshops and
focus groups. The National Youth Policy 2000 recognises that young people are a critical
and significant grouping within South Africa. The policy states that the need for youth
development is an intrinsic component of national development strategies.
The National Youth Policy 2000 identified nine strategic areas for youth development.
Under the strategy for education and training, the creation of a framework for the
National Youth Service was mandated. The National Youth Service is a key vehicle for
responding to the remaining eight strategies that affect youth in the field of health,
economic participation, safety and justice, welfare and community development, sport and
recreation, arts and culture, environment and science and technology.
1.3 Other related policies
The Green Paper takes into consideration existing policy frameworks which have a bearing
on strategy and implementation. Some of these are:
- the National Qualifications Framework;
- the National Skills Development Strategy and legislation;
- the Higher Education policy and legislation; and
- the Further Education policy and legislation.
In line with new policy trends in education and training, social services and
infrastructural development initiatives, the National Youth Service will have far reaching
implications in terms of:
- curriculum transformation and the role of educators in the coordination of service
learning;
- the design of funding formula for higher and further education;
- provision of local government services, particularly health, welfare and public works;
- sustainable provision of opportunities for youth service activities; and
- re-establishment of social cohesion through community support and participation.
In this way the National Youth Service will play its role in youth development,
regeneration of communities, nation building and economic revival by harnessing youth
energy and innovation.
2 Problem statement
South Africa has experienced an alarming increase in youth unemployment over the past
twenty years. This stems from a range of reasons including a decline in the number of jobs
available, the poor education and training which has been available to the majority of
young people in South Africa, lack of exposure to work opportunities and to work
experience, and a plethora of social and psychological stresses which have meant that many
young people are regarded as poor candidates for employment opportunities.
The level of disengagement experienced by young people should serve as a serious
warning signal for the rest of South African society. While this disengagement is seen
most clearly in the levels of youth unemployment, it is also evident in many other ways:
the vulnerability of young people to becoming involved in antisocial behaviour such as
crime and substance abuse and their profound disillusion with society.
2.1 The situation of youth in South Africa
South Africa's population is predominantly young. Seventy-two per cent of the total
population is under the age of 35 while 39% of the population is aged between 14 and 35,
the national definition of youth. Forty per cent of young people are students, while 23%
are unemployed. The C A S E report for the National Youth Commission in 1996 estimated
that the figure for unemployment among youth who were available for employment was 43%.
The 1995 October Household Survey stated that 28% of young people are employed in full
time positions and 3% are employed part time.
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2.1.1 Education
Only 12% of African youth have studied as far as they wanted to, as compared with 58% of
their white counterparts. The 1996 census data, segmented according to age cohorts, has
not yet been released. However the 1995 October Household Survey shows that 28% of all
youth in South Africa have achieved only some level of primary school education or less.
There are significant variations according to population: 33% of African youth have
achieved some level of primary school education or less, as compared with 3% of white
youth. According to the 1995 October Household Survey results, only 8% of young people in
South Africa had attained post-matric qualifications. These include tertiary education as
well as any certificates or diplomas undertaken since leaving school. A major challenge
that will confront the National Youth Service is addressing this education deficit.
African youth are more likely to want to continue their education than other racial
groupings - 49% compared to 33% for white youth, 30% for Indian youth, and 29% for
coloured youth. There is also a strong relationship between educational level attained and
the desire to continue with education. Less than a third (29%) of young people with no
formal education wanted to continue with their education as compared with 42% of those
with some level of primary education, 49% of those with some level of junior secondary
education and 52% of those who had achieved grade 11.
There are also significant differences in the education attained by young people in
different provinces. Gauteng and the Western Cape have the highest proportions of young
people who have undertaken additional education or training since leaving school as well
as the lowest proportions of young people who have no formal education.
2.1.2 Employment
Education and unemployment are inter-related. It would be a mistake, however, to assume
that poor education is the only reason for the high levels of youth unemployment. Despite
an increase in young people's ability to access education over the past ten years, youth
unemployment has continued to rise.
Young women experience higher rates of unemployment than young men across all race
groups. Young women find it more difficult to access the labour market and face particular
problems such as discrimination and harassment when searching for work. There is a
particular need to address these issues when delivering programmes which prepare young
women for entering the workforce.
Studies have shown that unemployed young people are more depressed than those engaged
in youth programmes or employment, and they are therefore particularly vulnerable. It is
important to note the profound social and psychological effects unemployment has on young
people and the long-term impact this will have on South Africa's overall development. It
points to the need for programmes addressing issues of employment to do so in a
comprehensive and integrated manner.
The limbo in which many out of school youth find themselves contributes significantly
to young people's feeling of being disrespected and de-valued by their families and
communities. The National Youth Service will provide a comprehensive way of addressing
these challenges.
2.1.3 Young people in conflict with the law
Data available on young people in conflict with the law only covers juveniles in the
correctional service system. Juveniles are defined as law offenders, sentenced and
unsentenced, who are 21 years and younger. According to the Correctional Services Annual
Report 1997, juveniles constituted 15% of the total prison population.
Figures provided by Statistics South Africa indicate the following profile: of the
total 218 394 convictions for serious offences in 1995/96, 17 526 or 8% were juveniles
between the ages of 7 and 17; 30 565 or 14% were young adults between the ages of 18 and
20.
The lack of a common definition of youth which can be used by all departments working
with young people, particularly the departments of Correctional Services, Justice, and
Safety and Security, means that little data is available on how many young people are in
fact involved in the judicial and prison systems. What is known is that increasing numbers
of young people are coming into conflict with the law and do not have access to programmes
which can adequately rehabilitate them into society.
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3 Target groups for national youth service
3.1 Four key target groups
Four key target groups will be prioritised for youth participation in the National Youth
Service. These are: higher education students, further education and training students,
unemployed young people and youth in conflict with the law. Each of these groups is
defined below.
3.2 Other categories within the youth sector
Within these target groups, and beyond them, other groups can be identified and their
interests cut across the four target groups cited above. Their relationship with the four
target groups is described below.
- Youth with special needs
It is recognised that there are a number of special needs groups in the youth sector: for
example young women, rural youth, disabled youth and demilitarised youth. All these young
people, however, will fit into one of the above four groups. For example, there are rural
youth and disabled youth who are in the further education and training and higher
education systems, or who are unemployed, or who are in conflict with the law. A national
youth service policy must provide for the special needs of youth to be aggressively
promoted and catered for within the overarching programmes for each target group. For
example, any programme for unemployed youth must actively promote ways of engaging young
disabled people in service and providing for their needs. This approach contributes
towards the key objectives of the National Youth Service which are to build nationhood and
a common purpose among young people, rather than segregating youth who experience
different needs.
Young people under 15 years of age constitute a grouping which needs
particular attention. The National Youth Service will encourage young people to move into
employment, which is not legal for this age group. For this reason national youth service
is not the most appropriate development intervention to be made with youth under the age
of 15 years. Rather, special programmes need to be established which concentrate on
enabling these participants to return to formal education. This does not preclude
out-of-school fourteen year olds from being engaged in voluntary youth service.
- Youth who are employed or self-employed
A further group of young people can be identified: those who are employed, engaged in post
graduate study or successfully engaged in small, micro or medium scale enterprise (SMME)
activity. These young people are an important group because they can be drawn upon to
deliver service in several ways. They could mentor or develop skills in their peers who
are not employed and they could undertake service for those who are disadvantaged. While
many of these young people may be involved in service through organisations such as
religious institutions, sporting clubs etc, it is not appropriate for these programmes to
be a particular target of the National Youth Service. Nevertheless, in addition to their
participation in such organisations, these young people could be drawn into programmes
which do form part of the National Youth Service, possibly in a mentoring role.
4 The challenge
Given the historical conditions of youth and the vast scope of their needs within South
Africa's socio-economic challenges, the nature of the envisaged National Youth Service
will require a robust national effort that ensures an interface with other government
programmes and therefore strong coordination of interests, multiple services and
resources.
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Chapter Two
A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR
THE NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE
A note on terminology
National youth service is a concept which is transformative in nature. It
seeks to contribute to the transformation of South African society through reconstruction
and development programmes which involve young people in service delivery and learning.
Furthermore, it aims to support individual transformation through the growth of civic
awareness in the young people involved, through their experience of service and through
the development of their skills.
The National Youth Service Agency is a structured entity proposed in this
Green Paper. It would be established by government to provide various types of support to
a wide diversity of youth service programmes operating within the framework of service,
learning and development according to agreed values, principles and criteria, as defined
in this Green Paper.
A national youth service programme is one of many programmes operating
within the framework established by the National Youth Service. It is distinguished from
general youth development programmes by virtue of its focus on service and learning, its
location within national development objectives and its alignment with the values,
principles and criteria as outlined in this Green Paper.
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1 International models of national youth service
National youth service is a phenomenon which is enjoying a resurgence world wide.
Government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) throughout the world have
initiated youth programmes which are categorised as youth service initiatives. The history
and rationale for the programmes differ from country to country and in each case the
reasons for initiating the programmes are instrumental in shaping their nature and the
purpose. Increasingly, the exchange of views and information between service programmes in
different parts of the world is resulting in the cross-fertilisation of ideas and in
greater conceptual clarity. Inherent in each conception of national youth service is a
definition of what is meant by >service=. Below are four conceptions of national youth
service as defined in different parts of the world.
1.1 National youth service: An experiential education programme for young people
An increasing trend is for national youth service programmes to provide a transitional
year or phase which gives young people access and exposure to the experience of work, and
which assists them in making the transition from study to adult life and to work. In this
way the year=s experience develops a maturity and level of self- awareness in participants
which may not have been adequately developed during the schooling process.
A key aim of these programmes is to develop participants= work skills. The programmes
recognise that many young people exiting from the school environment lack the information
and skills to make a smooth transition into further education or employment. The
programmes further recognise that in a global context of declining employment
opportunities, experience in a service programme can increase participants' eligibility
for the jobs which do exist.
1.2 National youth service: A method of fostering national development
In developing countries national youth service has been seen as a development tool which
enables countries to meet their social service obligations and achieve their development
goals by drawing on the skills, energy and resources of young people. In many cases
government departments have used youth service programmes to deliver development
programmes in education, health, water and agriculture to communities in far-flung rural
areas, which would otherwise have difficulty in accessing mainstream development
initiatives.
A further issue that emerges in this understanding of >national development= is
nation building. The purpose of many youth service programmes in developing countries is
to build a concept of nationhood which overcomes ethnic, geographic or cultural
differences.
In general, these programmes focus less on the development of the individuals involved;
rather they tend to concentrate on the delivery of development programmes in areas deemed
to be a priority by government. In this respect they often provide critical support to the
development planning objectives of government. Examples of countries implementing youth
service in this way are Nigeria (particularly in relation to nation building) and
Botswana.
1.3 National youth service: An alternative to military service
In Europe, the majority of youth service programmes have developed out of an understanding
of national youth service as an alternative to conscripted military service. As the
programmes develop and respond to changing international and intranational political,
economic and social pressures, they are moving further and further away from this narrow
definition. Today there is often no relationship between the national youth service
programmes and the military.
These programmes tend to link with social service institutions and generally last for a
period of at least twelve months. Programmes are seen as enabling young people to do
>civic duty= and many focus on >classic= service activities which include working
with vulnerable groups in society such as physically or intellectually disabled people,
the elderly or children.
1.4 National youth service: Delivery of opportunity to young people
Youth service programmes have also become a means of intervening in situations of growing
youth unemployment and dissatisfaction. Quite often they intervene where education systems
have failed young people, or are unable to cope with the large numbers of young people who
seek access to them. This fourth category of youth service plays a significant role in
many of the youth service programmes, regardless of their origins: it seeks to provide
young people with learning and experience through service which enables them to access
opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
2 National youth service
2.1 Vision
National youth service could provide a long-term and effective means of reconstructing
South African society whilst simultaneously developing the abilities of young people
through service and learning. Reconstruction includes the physical rehabilitation and
renovation of community resources, such as buildings and land, as well as providing the
more intangible, but perhaps more critical, service of rebuilding communities.
Reconstruction also includes the task of ensuring that young people have a valued and
significant role to play within their communities and that they enjoy access to the
opportunities they require to make a healthy transition to adulthood.
A comprehensive approach to youth service is required to ensure that the special needs
of young people are not marginalised in South Africa=s national development effort. Such
an approach would include the following components:
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- responding with urgency and determination to the issues faced by young people who are
out of school and unemployed, youth at risk and youth in the schooling and higher
education system;
- enhancing and developing the skills, standards and behaviour of those individuals and
organisations who design, implement, manage and monitor youth development programmes and
who work directly with young people in the provision of service;
- fostering a spirit of national unity among young people in South Africa;
- building a culture of service and voluntarism between young people and the communities
in which they live;
- ensuring that the practical, social and environmental needs of young people in education
and training are addressed so that they are able to make full use of the policy reforms
being introduced;
- addressing the imbalances and barriers of the past in an equitable manner so as to
enable young people to access emerging opportunities, and to protect and respect their
rights; and
- creating an enabling legislative framework which ensures that there is cooperation
between civil society and government to meet the needs of young people.
3 Purpose of national youth service in SA
Four purposes may be identified for national youth service:
- To enable young people to develop the skills, knowledge and ability necessary for them
to make the transition to healthy independent adulthood.
- To give young people a way out of long-term unemployment by providing them with tangible
opportunities which increase their likelihood of accessing the economy.
- To inculcate in young people an understanding of their important role in South Africa=s
development, to assist them to participate constructively in community reintegration and
nation building and to develop pro-social behaviour.
- To provide a vehicle through which South Africa can deliver its development objectives,
through the deployment of young people.
4 Values of national youth service
It is recommended that the National Youth Service should be based on the following set of
values.
4.1 The promotion of a common sense of nationhood
As articulated in Youth Policy 2000, one of the key objectives of national youth service
is the development of a sense of nationhood. This means that young people should have a
sense of being an intrinsic and valuable part of South Africa, and have a commitment
towards the social and economic development of the country. Since the advent of democracy,
many young people have struggled to develop an identity that is >South African= rather
than geographic, political, ethnic or racial. National youth service should therefore seek
to promote values of democratic citizenship that assist young people to develop a positive
identity for themselves as South Africans.
4.2 National youth service should be accessible to all young people regardless of
race, gender, religion or geographic location
While the National Youth Service will focus on providing service to the most disadvantaged
communities within South Africa, it should offer opportunities for all young people. While
some target groups will be specifically recruited into programmes that fall under the
National Youth Service, the National Youth Service should encourage an environment which
supports all service activities undertaken by youth.
4.3 National youth service should promote positive and integrated methods of youth
development
In South Africa there is an increasing element of negativity developing towards young
people. The National Youth Service should actively promote positive images of young
people. Furthermore, it should promote an integrated approach to youth development B one
which acknowledges and respects the fact that young people experience a range of social,
educational, economic and psychological needs, and which seeks to respond to these in a
holistic manner.
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5 Defining national youth service
5.1 What is service?
Service is an activity which is undertaken for reasons other than financial reparation and
which contributes to the overall well being of a community. There are different ways in
which service can underpin youth programmes and each country establishing a youth service
programme interprets or defines the service component as best suits its needs. What is
important is that a common definition is established and used as a reference point for all
programmes which seek to become part of overall national youth service delivery. This is
an essential prerequisite for establishing a framework for national youth service.
In South Africa, the notion of youth service will be defined broadly as the involvement
of young people in activities which provide a service which benefits the community.
5.2 Service in relation to community development
The notion of service as something which benefits a community is critical. Communities
must be actively engaged in the process of identifying their development needs and in
devising the ways in which a youth service programme could assist in addressing such
needs. Youth development and youth service should not be seen outside the context of
community development. In South Africa a key objective of national youth service is to
reintegrate young people into their communities. It is thus vital to ensure that youth
service programmes have the approval and support of the communities in which they are
functioning.
5.3 National youth service in the context of national development objectives
Through the Reconstruction and Development Programme and in consultation with communities
across the country, the South African government has identified key development priorities
for the country. These priorities provide the framework in which national youth service
should operate. National youth service should therefore be able to demonstrate, through
the programmes it supports, a tangible commitment to assisting South Africa to meet its
national development objectives. One of the criteria for programmes that receive specific
support from the National Youth Service will therefore be a demonstration of how they
contribute towards meeting national development objectives.
The priority areas for national youth service will be determined in relation to the
development priorities identified by government. These must be matched with the
opportunities such priorities offer for effective youth service. An initial assessment of
areas where there is convergence between development priorities identifies by government
and opportunities for youth service are in the following sectors:
- Public Works
- Education
- Water Affairs
- Environment and Tourism
- Welfare
- Health.
Within each sector a the specific service opportunities in which young people can
participate will be identified. The relevant departments will identify the priority areas
for service. For example, if there are service opportunities in the education sector,
school readiness may be identified as the priority area for a youth service project.
The National Youth Service will locate its programmes within the national development
objectives already articulated by Government.
5.4 Service as a method of development
Another aspect of service is the value which it adds to people=s lives. A service
programme which provides care to the elderly, for example, adds significant social value
to the lives of the people for whom the young people are caring. This may be in the form
of providing company, counselling, physical assistance, etc. While it may be possible to
determine or quantify this contribution financially, the contribution has significantly
more than monetary value. It is thus important to understand and articulate the value
which the service adds to the lives of recipients.
In addition, national youth service should add value to the lives of the participants.
This Green Paper proposes national youth service as a way of delivering an integrated
development programme to young South Africans.
5.4 Difference between youth service, special employment programmes and learnerships
There is often confusion about why there is a need for youth service when special
employment programmes and learnerships have been established. It is important to note that
national youth service does not compete with, but rather complements these two strategies.
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- The primary objective of special employment programmes is poverty alleviation and the
meeting of reconstruction and development needs. While some human resource development may
take place, this differs across the programmes.
- The learnership strategy is one primarily designed to develop human resources through
the provision of education and training together with opportunities for gaining experience
in the workplace. It is unlikely that learnerships will be able to mobilise large numbers
of young people, given the limited number of placement opportunities in the formal sector
of the economy.
The objectives of the National Youth Service are to enable young people to develop a
service culture and to contribute to the reconstruction and development of South Africa,
while gaining learning and work experience. The National Youth Service thus responds to
the specific needs of young people and has the potential of mobilising and engaging
considerably larger numbers of young people than the other two types of programmes.
5.6 Service does not replace jobs
A fundamental prerequisite for many national service programmes, such as those in Germany,
Israel and the USA, is that service programmes should not in any way work in competition
with labour.
People who are employed will not be displaced by youth in service programmes. Where
contracts are going out for tender, a youth service programme should not bid for these
contracts on the basis that the participants do not earn salaries. There should be
adequate consultation with communities to ensure that they understand the purpose of youth
service and do not see it as a strategy which competes with older community members
seeking employment.
5.7 Service does not involve financial reparation
As mentioned earlier, youth service is an activity for which there is no financial
reparation. Therefore, while working in the public sector may involve an individual
rendering a service to the community, this does not constitute service in the sense that
the term is used in this Green Paper. In public sector employment, service is required in
terms of the contract of employment.
Furthermore, youth service cannot be undertaken in a >for profit= environment: for
example, volunteering to work for a company which generates profit does not constitute
youth service. Here the primary purpose is job training or placement which is designed to
serve corporate needs and interests, or those of individuals, rather than the needs of the
broader community.
6 Who participates in national youth service?
National youth service is a concept which provides scope for overwhelming involvement by
young people in South Africa. No young person in South Africa should be excluded from
having the opportunity to be involved in a service programme. The broad definition of
service above provides the opportunity for all young people across the country to
participate in a range of activities which benefit communities and contribute towards
national development objectives. The role of the National Youth Service is to create an
enabling environment which ensures that such involvement is recognised, acknowledged and
encouraged within all structures of society.
International experience shows that models exist both for voluntary and for compulsory
youth service programmes. South African experience to date supports the recommendations of
Youth Policy 2000 (Office of the Deputy President (1997), Youth Policy 2000,
Pretoria, p32) which suggest that a mix of voluntary and compulsory elements may be
required in the design of national youth service programmes. Some of the issues that need
to be considered in the South African context are the following:
- Which model, voluntary or compulsory, would best meet the needs of the target group?
- Which model, voluntary or compulsory, would best meet the needs of the communities in
which service is to be rendered?
- Is the chosen model likely to succeed in its objectives?
- Is there the capacity and the will to implement the chosen model?
Some examples of compulsory and voluntary programmes presently in operation include the
following:
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- Junior doctors are presently required to do compulsory community service as a condition
of attaining their professional registration in South Africa. A similar scheme may soon be
introduced for law graduates.
- Service programmes that form an integral part of a curriculum or a field of study are
also compulsory in nature. This is likely to increase as institutions in higher education
and further education and training seek to become more responsive to community need.
- Youth who are in conflict with the law may have to undertake compulsory service as an
alternative to serving time in a correctional institution, but this is a decision of the
judicial system and is taken on the basis of individual cases.
- At present many service programmes are undertaken within communities on a voluntary
basis: for example, sports coaching, clean-up campaigns, renovating a community centre or
clearing alien vegetation.
- Other voluntary service programmes at higher education level include students involved
in the provision of health services (eg. on the Phelophepha Train), tutoring primary
school youth, or providing peer counselling in HIV/AIDS.
The issue of whether participation is voluntary or compulsory will thus in part be
determined by the criteria developed for participation in the service programmes, and on
the needs and condition of the target groups in question.
In order to ensure that programmes yield benefit to participants and to the recipients
of service, a mixed approach will be adopted initially towards participation in the
National Youth Service. This means that it may be compulsory for some target groups to
participate (eg. as part of their study requirement), while in the case of other target
groups, voluntary participation may be most effective.
7 Beneficiaries of service
7.1 Primary and secondary beneficiaries
The primary beneficiaries of programmes which fall under the National Youth Service fall
into two categories.
(a) Communities, and in particular, disadvantaged communities.
(b) Young people participating in the service programme.
A secondary beneficiary, but one which is equally important, is the labour market and
the broad economy which will benefit from the skills, responsibility and civic values
developed in the course of well-structured national youth service programmes.
Youth service is therefore a method of providing youth development as well as
contributing to national development. Furthermore, it must be noted that participants will
not benefit from youth service unless careful attention is given to the design and
implementation of the service programmes.
8 Operating principles of the National Youth Service
It is proposed that the following principles should inform initiatives which are supported
by the National Youth Service.
8.1 Service learning
The philosophy of service learning will underpin any programme falling under the National
Youth Service and that programmes will be designed and resourced with a view to achieving
the service learning objectives as formulated in this Green Paper.
Service learning refers to the learning that takes place through service programmes,
particularly to the learning undertaken by participants engaged in service activity. For
example, a young person engaged in a service activity, whether that be tutoring primary
school youth, renovating a community centre, clearing alien vegetation or providing peer
counselling in HIV/AIDS, can learn the skills of problem solving, planning, critical
thinking, communication, team work, assertiveness and self confidence. The practical
activity in which they are involved provides an ideal vehicle for learning such skills.
Service learning is a conscious and deliberate process. While some learning happens
automatically in any service programme, much more than this is required. Clear learning
objectives should be articulated for service participants, the programme design must
ensure that these objectives are catered for, and monitoring should form an integral part
of the programme to ascertain whether the learning objectives have been achieved or if
not, why not.
Service learning encourages the ability of participants to think, analyse, reflect and
grow as part of their service experience. Much of the learning may take place in informal
learning environments, for example while travelling to the work site or during a lunch
break. There is therefore a need to make sure that this learning is conscious and open for
interrogation by all participants in the service programme.
In South Africa, particularly for the unemployed target group, the education component
of programmes which fall under the National Youth Service (see Chapter Six) will have the
specific task of redressing previous education deficiencies. Clear parameters will be set
for what can realistically be undertaken within the context of service learning.
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8.2 Sustainable development
Sustainable development refers to the extent to which an initiative is sustainable within
and by the community in which it is located. Sustainable development becomes a critical
factor in assessing whether a project should fall under the National Youth Service. For
example, should a programme rely on the constant involvement of participants? What
involvement should a community have in the instigation, management, monitoring and
assessment of a service programme? How will the programme be sustained by community
members in the long term?
Sustainability should be understood as delivering ongoing, long-term benefit for the
community and the participants beyond the duration of the programme. The following
criteria will be used to assess whether a programme is likely to be sustainable and
whether it should be adopted as part of the National Youth Service:
- Community representation in managing and/or monitoring the provision of the service to
the community.
- Identification of the need at a national and a community level.
- Mechanisms to assess whether the community is benefiting from the service.
- The involvement of community members in formulating strategies for sustaining the
achievements of the service. For example, if a clean up campaign has been provided as a
service activity, the community needs to ensure that the environment will be kept clean
through agreements made with local authorities on waste collection, or other means.
8.3 Incentives to overcome financial hardship
A principle of youth service should be that participants and the families of participants
do not experience financial hardship because of the young person=s involvement in the
service programme. The incentives in national youth service programmes need to take
account of this. It is important that young people are assisted to participate in youth
service.
A range of incentives for the participants in youth service will be considered, such as
discounted transport, food subsidies and allowances or stipends which make it possible for
young people to be engaged in service.
8.4 Accredited learning
In the long term, youth service programmes should be accredited within the National
Qualifications Framework. In the interim, programmes seeking to fall under the National
Youth Service should be able to demonstrate the means by which learning will be
accredited.
8.5 Selection of community sites for service
Communities which are the recipients of service programmes should be the most
disadvantaged communities in the country. They should be unable to meet the need being
addressed by the service programme through any other means. A range of processes for
assessing community need have already been developed by different local, provincial and
national government departments - for example for the Working for Water Programme. These
processes should be used to determine the selection of sites for national youth service
programmes.
8.6 Developing a culture of self-reliance
Many development programmes, particularly those involving young people, unwittingly
establish a culture of dependency. This is particularly prevalent when the development
programme provides the only structure of support accessible to young people. For example,
young people involved in a service programme may experience a range of health problems,
financial problems and problems in the home. The expectation may then develop among some
participants that the service programme will provide a way of solving these difficulties.
This often means that participants are reluctant to leave programmes at the conclusion of
their service. One example of this problem comes from the SANDF Service Corps, where
participants remained in the programme for up to twelve months longer than initially
planned because they expected the programme to meet all their needs.
All programmes which are supported by the National Youth Service should demonstrate how
they will actively encourage a culture of self-reliance among participants through their
objectives, design and education and training components.
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9 Establishment of the National Youth Service
The National Youth Service Agency, an entity established by Government, will be created to
provide an enabling environment in which youth service programmes can be pursued. The role
of the National Youth Service Agency is to ensure that all community youth service
initiatives are broadly encouraged and supported. The National Youth Service Agency will
have the responsibility of providing financial, capacity building, administrative and
coordinative support for specific initiatives which meet the criteria described in this
Green Paper.
10 Assumptions
If national youth service is to have wide ranging impact on reconstruction and development
throughout South Africa and on the development of large numbers of young people, a number
of assumptions must be made about the environment in which national youth service
programmes are seeking to operate.
10.1 There is a national commitment to the development of young people in South
Africa
A critical factor in the success of national youth service is the commitment of all
sectors of society to implementing the National Youth Policy as adopted by Cabinet. In
government it will be the task of the National Youth Commission and the Office of the
Deputy President to ensure that the Youth Policy 2000 is incorporated into programme
implementation strategies of line ministries so as to make available the incentives and
resources required to deliver successfully the programmes of the National Youth Service.
10.2 Service opportunities for young people are accessible
While there is likely to be a broad range of service opportunities available for young
people, an assumption made in this Green Paper is that there is the administrative and
bureaucratic capacity, and willingness, to access such opportunities.
For national youth service to achieve its aims and objectives, a significant level of
support, cooperation and mutual understanding is required from existing agencies to
support the philosophy of youth development. For example, the Working for Water programme
already has a commitment to clearing catchment areas. However, for the National Youth
Service to cooperate effectively with this initiative, the Department of Water Affairs
will have to commit to understanding that the need to develop the young participants in
the programme is equal in importance to the task of clearing the catchment area.
10.3 Standards and accreditation mechanisms identified under the National
Qualifications Framework are functional in the education and training areas offered within
national youth service programmes
All education and training offered by national youth service programmes must be accredited
under the National Qualifications Framework. A major constraint in the short term is that
many of the mechanisms for providing this accreditation are not yet in place. Interim
accreditation arrangements will be required for national youth service programmes in the
short term, and these should assist in laying the foundation for the longer-term
accreditation system.
10.4 Resources and funds are available for the National Youth Service
This assumption relates specifically to the issues raised above. All sectors of society
will have to make a commitment to making available the financial, human and physical
resources required to support the programmes of the National Youth Service.
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10.5 Youth service opportunities are developed in relation to prospects for
increasing employment opportunities over the next five to ten years.
The National Youth Service has as its aim that participants move from involvement in a
youth service programme into one of the following activities:
- employment in the formal sector;
- taking up study opportunities in further education and training or higher education;
- initiating sustainable income-generating activities; and
- participation in local economic development strategies.
The success of the National Youth Service will thus be closely linked to the extent to
which employment opportunities increase in the country as a whole. While the National
Youth Service can ensure that participants are in the best position possible to pursue one
of these directions, it is not possible for the Youth Service to ensure that these
opportunities exist.
11 Summary
11.1 Vision:
National youth service will provide a long-term and effective means of reconstructing
South African society whilst simultaneously developing the abilities of young people
through service and learning.
11.2 Purpose:
- To enable young people to make the transition to healthy independent adulthood;
- To give young people a way out of long-term unemployment;
- To inculcate in young people an understanding of their role and to assist them to
participate in community reintegration and nation building;
- To deploy young people to meet South Africa=s development objectives.
11.3 Values:
- The promotion of a common sense of nationhood
- Accessibility to all young people
- Promotion of positive and integrated methods of youth development
11.4 Definition of service:
The involvement of young people in activities which provide a service which provide a
service which benefits the community. The service should meet a community need, fit within
national development objectives, and add value to the beneficiaries and participants.
The national youth service is not a special employment programme or learnership; should
not replace labour; and does not involve financial reparation.
11.5 Participation:
A mixed approach will be adopted initially towards participation in the National Youth
Service. This means that it may be compulsory for some target groups to participate, and
voluntary for other target groups.
11.6 Beneficiaries:
The primary beneficiaries are disadvantaged communities and young people participaintg.
Secondary beneficiaries are the labour market and the board economy.
11.7 Operating principles:
- Service learning
- Sustainable development
- Incentives to overcome financial hardship
- Accredited learning
- Selection of the most disadvantaged communities through existing government processes
- Active encouragement of a culture of self-reliance
11.8 Establishment of the National Youth Service
A National Youth Service Agency will be established to create an enabling environment for
youth service and to provide support for specific initiatives.
11.9 Assumptions:
- There is a natioanl community to the development of young people.
- Service opportunities for young people are accessible
- The NQF is functional in the education and training areas offered.
- Resources and funds are available for the National Youth Service.
- Youth service opportunities are developed in relation to prospects for increasing
employment opportunities over the next five to ten years.
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Chapter Three
PROGRAMMES AND INCENTIVES
This chapter examines the programmes that would broadly fall within the National Youth
Service. It distinguishes between programmes that will be accredited by the National Youth
Service and those which are not likely to be accredited, and proposes a number of criteria
that could inform this prioritisation. The chapter goes on to outline what form the
accredited programmes may take for each target group and explores incentives for
participants in terms of the possible benefits which would accrue from national youth
service programmes. The chapter concludes by outlining a process by means of which the
discussion about youth service programmes could be taken forward.
1 Conceptualising programmes that form part of the National Youth Service
Different target groupings have varied needs and abilities. The needs and context of each
target group will thus impact on the type of service that is possible, as well as the
nature of the programme - for example whether there is an emphasis on the education and
training components, what type of incentives will be provided, and what type of life
skills will be required. Within each target group there will also be differences among
different categories - for example, within the unemployed group there will be unemployed
graduate and unemployed out-of-school youth.
However, within these differences it is crucial to define what makes a programme part
of the National Youth Service. A key objective of the National Youth Service is to create,
and to encourage a culture of service amongst young people in South Africa and to develop
in them a spirit of patriotism and nation building. A further objective is to change the
perceptions that many people have about young people. For this reason it is critical that
the National Youth Service support all initiatives that involve young people in providing
a >needed= service to the community. The implication of this is that the National Youth
Service could draw together a broad range of programmes that involve young people in
providing a service to the community. Examples of the diversity of programmes include the
following:
- initiatives which involve unemployed young people in a year-long programme where they
receive education and training and deliver a service such as the building of low cost
housing;
- a church programme where young people provide a service once a week serving soup to
homeless people;
- a programme that involves young people in three days of activity to clean a river or to
remove alien vegetation;
- a programme which involves young people in higher education running a tutoring programme
once a week for students in historically disadvantaged schools;
- a class of students in a further education institution reading to the elderly once a
month;
- a medical school graduate who does a year=s service in a rural community which otherwise
has very little access to medical care.
There is thus a very wide range of service programmes in which young people could be
involved that would fall within the bounds of a national youth service. The key
characteristic that brings these programmes together is the concept of service, as
discussed in Chapter Two. All of these service initiatives are important and worthy
activities, and as such would need to be encouraged and supported by the National Youth
Service.
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1.1 Accreditation of particular programmes under the National Youth Service
Because the National Youth Service is likely to have limited resources available to it, a
mechanism must be established whereby particular youth service programmes are prioritised
and given additional support. The process of identifying and prioritising the programmes
should be called accreditation. Used in this way, the term refers to recognising
certain types of service programmes which then become eligible for support from the
National Youth Service, and authorising them to conduct their activities according to
certain benchmarks.
The programmes would have to be accredited against clear criteria. Accredited
programmes would be eligible for specific types of support from the National Youth Service
or from government departments working in partnership with the National Youth Service.
They may also be able to receive certain other benefits or incentives, once defined.
2 Criteria for programme accreditation
In line with the definitions of youth service cited in Chapter Two, it is recommended that
all national youth service programmes ensure that youth are involved in providing a needed
service to the community which is in line with national development objectives.
All programmes will be evaluated for accreditation against three sets of criteria:
- those which concern programme components,
- those which relate to the nature of the service, and
- those which concern the duration of the service programme.
2.1 Criteria for programme components
Programmes accredited by the National Youth Service should incorporate the following
components:
- Service to a community
- Learning (which may include accredited education and training)
- Personal development and the promotion of active citizenship (counselling, life skills,
values/attitudes, employment-related elements such as placements and career guidance).
These elements are inter-related, and while they will differ in terms of the extent
that they are developed within programmes for different target groups, they will need to
be built into all programmes. Thus the shaded area represents programmes that will be
accredited by the National Youth Service.
Emphasis will be reflected in the weighting given to each of the programme components.
While the detail of this still needs to be developed, the principles that will guide such
weighting are listed below. The implications for programme design are further explored
below, as are some of the issues pertaining to each of the sectors.
2.2 Criteria regarding the nature of the service
For a service programme to be accredited by the National Youth Service, it will be
measured against two yardsticks:
- it must meet a need which is both an expressed community need as well as within the
framework of national development objectives.
- it must have a tangible impact in that community. The community should be able to
reflect on the service and feel that it has been worthwhile.
This approach avoids the accreditation of programmes that are selected because they are
easy for the youth to achieve, yet do not improve people's lives in any real way. However,
this aspect will need to be explored further since measuring the specific contribution of
service to development will depend on the type of service rendered - for example, the
provision of infrastructure such as building a community centre versus tutoring
disadvantaged learners in school.
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2.3 Criteria regarding duration of service
A minimum number of hours of service will have to be stipulated in each programme. This
remains an issue that will require further development. However, at this stage, it is
recommended that:
- Unemployed young people who do not have specialised skills should serve for a period of
a year so as to ensure adequate education and training as well as service.
- Those young people in conflict with the law who do not have specialised skills and
knowledge, should serve for a minimum of a year, however this could be longer depending on
the nature of the service. Where the young person does not require education and training,
the service could be shorter, however it should be of sufficient duration to ensure an
adequate life skills and reintegration component.
- The duration of the programme for those young people in higher education, further
education and training, or for those required to complete their service as a condition for
professional registration, should be set by the appropriate institution, quality assurance
or professional body.
2.4 The development and application of the criteria as applied to each of the target
groups
2.4.1 Young people in higher education
The Joint Education Trust study states that:
The threefold mission of higher education teaching, research and service B has
traditionally been understood as charging institutions with the responsibility for
developing public citizens as well as individuals with the appropriate professional skills
required by a changing economy. In much of the literature this role is defined as one
which strengthens moral and civic values, and which prepares individuals to take an active
part in a democratic society.
This understanding represents the cornerstone of the argument as to why it is important
to involve students in higher education in service activities and is supported by this
Green Paper. Through their involvement in service to the community, higher education
students will be able to develop a sense of democratic citizenship in a range of ways:
- Firstly, they will be able to develop skills that are relevant to the needs of the
majority of society B a key factor in developing professional excellence in terms that are
respected within the profession and are appropriate to the conditions found in South
Africa.
- Secondly, they will be able to gain a better understanding of the concerns of
communities with whom they work B a factor that students commented on in positive terms in
the Joint Education Trust study.
- Thirdly, their participation in service could inculcate a long-term commitment to active
and voluntary participation in communities.
Another aspect to this argument is the acknowledgement that government, and therefore
the community, have made a large contribution (in part through the university
subsidy) to ensure that students have access to higher education. The service component
provides opportunities for youth to respond to this by making a meaningful contribution to
community development.
The implication is that in the case of higher education students, the emphasis will
primarily be on ensuring that young people provide the community with service by drawing
on their experience, knowledge and skills gained through higher education.
While the focus of the programmes will primarily be on service and experiential
learning, these programmes should also ensure that they provide opportunities for
learning, and for students to be sensitised to the needs of those communities that have
been disadvantaged in the past. This could be achieved through the incorporation of a
reflective component into the programme where students can critically analyse what they
have learned through the process.
Educational institutions should take responsibility for assisting students to make the
linkages between the formal curricula and their experiences in the community. As the Joint
Education Trust study notes, benefits to students and institutions depend on the Anature
of the programme, programme structure and supervision@.
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2.3.2 Young people in further education and training
Students in further education and training institutions are similar to those in higher
education in that they are also involved in a structured and accredited learning process.
In further education and training there is a need to develop both a breadth and depth of
knowledge and skills. The requirements of the further education and training
qualifications demand that fundamental and core skills as well as the more
specialised electives should underpin all FET programmes.
The White Paper on Further Education and Training states that:
A successful further education and training system will provide diversified
programmes offering knowledge, skills, attitudes and values South African require as
individuals and citizens, as lifelong learners, and as economically productive members of
society. It will provide the vital intermediate to higher level skills and competencies
the country needs, to chart its own course in the global competitive world of the 21st
century.
It acknowledges that while many students who exit from the further education and
training band will still wish to access further or higher education institutions, others
will want to enter the world of work. However, across these differences is the recognition
that there is a need to ensure that young people leaving further education and training
have a wide range of options open to them.
The introduction of an emphasis on service into further education and training provides
an opportunity to develop the civic values and attitudes required by individuals for
active participation in a democracy, including a greater appreciation for a culture of
service (voluntarism), community development, and inter-generational understanding. This
latter point refers to the need to develop better communication patterns and relations
between young people in the community with their parents and grandparents - that is, the
elder generation. The programme for the further education and training target group will
be designed with the following emphasis:
- Service
- Learning (gaining practical skills, which could enhance employability as well as the
learning process)
- Developing civic values through service and in this way building a culture of teaching
and learning and service.
To illustrate this, students could be required to perform 75 hours of community service
and to write a report on what they have learned from the experience. Students could also
be assigned to apply classroom knowledge to particular service projects. As examples,
chemistry students regularly check air and water pollution levels and publicise the
results; or history students visit elderly residents of nursing homes and record their
impressions of wars and depressions and other events of half a century ago. The White
Paper on FET recognises inherent implications for curriculum changes and the role of
educators.
2.3.3 Unemployed youth
The A Growing Up Tough@ baseline youth survey by JEP/CASE (1992) identified unemployment
as a critical indicator in establishing whether a young person is engaging in society. The
CASE/National Youth Commission status report on youth in 1996 estimates that 43% of young
people in South Africa were unemployed. Unemployment makes young people particularly
vulnerable to a range of anti-social behaviour as they struggle to generate income, and
many young people experience significant levels of anger and depression.
In the category of unemployed young people, two broad sectors are defined. The first
sector includes those youth that have not completed their education to the level initially
planned. The second sector includes those young people who have acquired a specialised
skill but are unable to access employment. This particularly refers to graduates of higher
education, but could also include some young people that have attained a more
occupationally related further education and training certificate.
The emphasis of service programmes for unemployed youth needs to provide a
comprehensive way of engaging unemployed young people in a programme, which gives them a
way of achieving dignity within their families and communities, as well as providing these
young people with access to education and training or practical experience. This should
enable these young people to develop skills to withstand an increasingly fatalistic youth
culture and gives them tangible means of generating an income which will allow them to
become economically independent. Programmes for the unemployed target groups will be
designed with the following emphasis:
- Delivery of a service;
- Learning (enhancing employability through education and training and through practical
experience);
- Development of civic values and other critical life skills.
The programme for unemployed youth will need to both provide a service to the
community, as well as ensure that participants develop knowledge and skills that will
assist them to be employable. Given this, it is critical that programmes will ensure that
youth are equipped to provide the service, that a life skills component is included.
Career counselling is also central to the success of the programme and should be offered
to young people prior to their participation on the programme, as well as before they
complete the programme.
For those young people that already have specialised skills, emphasis will be on
practical skills for gaining work experience.
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2.3.4 Youth in conflict with the law
The framework for this category can be derived from the approach adopted by the Department
of Justice, as well as the South African Law Commission. The Law Commission states that:
Restorative justice relies on reconciliation rather than punishment, on offenders
accepting responsibility for their behaviour@, ... and the need to introduce these
principles and practices to Afacilitate the reintegration of the offender back into
society, drawing on community-based and indigenous models of dispute resolution@ (South
African Law Commission, Issue Paper 9).
This category includes those young people that have committed an offence and are
required to undertake community service as an alternative to entering the criminal justice
system. Rather than go to court and enter the criminal justice system, they instead agree
to officers of the court to undertake community service. This category also includes those
young people that are sentenced to undertake community service as a condition of
suspension or postponement of sentence. Also, those who have completed their sentences and
then select to undertake community service as a means of reintegrating into the community
could be given an opportunity through such a programme.
The approach Afocuses on repairing harm done to the victim or to society, rather than
on retribution by the state@, and on ensuring that the perpetrator takes responsibility
for his/her actions and pays back his/her debt to society and the victim. Some of the
options available to the court (in terms of section 297), and which are relevant to a
national youth service, include the possibility of:
Rendering to the person aggrieved of some specific benefit or service in lieu of
compensation for damage or pecuniary loss;
Performance without remuneration and outside the prison of some service for the benefit
of the community under the supervision or control of an organisation or institution (ie
community service).
Complications include differences within age cohorts. For the purposes of the National
Youth Service young people that fall between the ages of 15 and 35 are included. However,
the law defines a child as up to and including 17 years of age. This category is part of
the juvenile justice system, and there is a strong move to ensure that they do not form
part of the main criminal justice system. In the case of this category, it may be possible
to develop guidelines which can be utilised in the family and children=s courts. The usage
of these guidelines could be assisted by the proposal to train personnel in matters
pertaining to juvenile justice. This includes the need for an appropriately trained
special public defender.
However, youth that are older than 17 years of age will form part of the main criminal
justice system and for these youth the possibility of corrective supervision exists. The
concept of correctional supervision refers to a wide range of measures, which have in
common that they are all applied outside of prison. While the law, as illustrated above,
allows for corrective supervision, there is currently no policy in place to guide this
process and it is at the discretion of the courts to decide in which cases corrective
supervision will be used as an alternative to sentencing. Programmes for youth in conflict
with the law will be designed with the following emphasis:
- Delivery of a service as a means of rehabilitation B again this would be a way for young
people to make a contribution to the community in acknowledgement of what they have taken
from the community. This would be key to reintegrating young people back into that
community;
- Learning (enhancing employability through education and training as well as creating
opportunities for re-entry general, further or higher education);
- Development of civic values and life skills.
Programmes that are to be accredited by the National Youth Service will be guided by
the criteria discussed above. The emphasis of individual programmes will thus differ,
depending on the nature of the programmes and the needs of the target groups. Each target
group will require distinct programmes.
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3 Programme principles and guidelines
While criteria will be used to determine which programmes can be accredited by the
National Youth Service, it is important to develop also a broad set of principles or
guidelines that can assist service programmes. These potentially apply to all service
programmes. However, in the case of accredited programmes, it may be necessary for the
National Youth Service to evaluate whether the programmes require additional capacity and
support in order to realise key aspects of what could be considered "best
practice". In some cases, the guidelines overlap with the criteria in that they both
constitute "best practice" models as well as defining criteria.
These guidelines include the following:
3.1 Strong organisation
- The programme has a clear mission that is relevant to community needs.
- The organisation has a viable strategic vision, as well as a fully developed
implementation plan.
- The organisation has a strong management structure that recognises the importance of
strong community support.
- Sufficient resources are devoted to recruitment, training and development of staff.
- The organisation encourages teamwork.
- The organisation is built on effective programme and fiscal management processes.
- The programme is a visible model for national service, with documented evidence of its
achievements.
3.2 Excellent national service projects
- Services address real needs and create direct and demonstrable results. The results can
be identified by members of the community.
- The programme organisers and the community agree about the results to be achieved and
the role of participants. They also understand the mission and goals of the youth service
programme.
- Participants do not displace workers or volunteers, or duplicate their efforts, in
carrying out their projects.
- Service programmes draw on the unique abilities and qualities of their participants;
their professional education or training, age, diversity, idealism, intelligence, and
other assets.
- Service projects are well planned and the key elements of the programme are well
documented. When appropriate, opportunities for learning are built into the programme
design.
- Participants get the training they need for the projects. Projects consist of tasks and
activities which are safe and appropriate for participants.
- Service projects are properly managed and there is close supervision.
3.3 Quality of experience for participants
The programme must provide a high quality experience for participants. This includes a
clear structure in which to work, sufficient training and learning, and good support.
Participants are able to express their expectations clearly, prior to the commencement of
the project. Likewise, the programme clearly articulates the expectations it has of the
participants. This could take the form of written contracts. A spirit of commitment is
developed among the participants B to national service, the community and to each other.
This will develop participants sense of themselves as actors with an ability to assist the
community. Respect for diversity and cooperation is developed amongst the project
participants. Learning is built into all programmes. The programme helps each participant
to prepare for and make the transition to his or her next endeavour, whether education or
work. Effective preparation for participants includes teaching project-related skills and
leadership, and enables participants to understand the value of service, the nature of
citizenship, and the national needs which their service will address. Effective training
balances the complementary goals of project skills development and personal development,
enabling both to happen. Training is an on-going activity; it does not end with
orientation. Participants, where required, are linked to essential support services. This
implies that the programme has a strong referral network. The programme develops personal
and social skills, including self-discipline, independence and competence. Staff should
preferably have competence in basic counselling, crisis intervention and referral to
services.
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3.4 Partnerships
The basis for the partnership is that national service can meet critical community needs
to the mutual benefit of participants and communities. All partners make a strong
commitment to support the success of the programme. Effective channels exist to foster
communication between the partners.
3.5 Evaluation
- Programmes have clear objectives against which the programme can be evaluated.
- Programmes have mechanisms to collect and document information.
- Lessons are well documented.
- Programmes seek continuous improvement, based on this information and learning.
4 Incentives
The provision of incentives or benefits to participants in national youth service
programmes need to be balanced with the overall objectives of the National Youth Service.
There is a recognition of the need for the service to inculcate a spirit of service and
commitment to the development of South Africa. Further, the service needs to ensure that
communities remain key beneficiaries of the service. However, particularly with certain
target groups, such as the unemployed and those young people in conflict with the law, it
is also important to ensure that national youth service programmes enable participants to
access opportunities once the service has been completed. This is central to the
longer-term success of these programmes.
In order to promote such a concept, it is important to outline what benefits the
National Youth Service may hold for various stakeholders by balancing the importance of
developing the values of service and nation-building with the need to ensure that it is
possible for young people to participate in these programmes, and that the programmes open
up opportunities for them.
4.1 Participant benefits during an accredited service programme
Depending on the target group and the nature of the programme there may be a range of
incentives and benefits during a national youth service programme. These will vary greatly
depending on the nature of the target group. For example, they could include a stipend,
travel allowance, and/or lunch. Youth may also receive access to accredited quality
education and training which could provide an incentive for those who are unemployed | 
