Statistics show that finding employment without a matric or grade 12 equivalent is near impossible in South Africa. The GED® is an out-of-school solution that helps alleviate this problem.
The GED® is an invaluable tool that puts educational advancement and economic upliftment within reach.
Apparently, the greatest difference in earnings across years of schooling is between pupils with Grade 11 versus those with a matric certificate. Salaries more than double if you have a Grade 12 qualification.
The GED®, an American high school equivalency credential, is a solution for students struggling to complete their grade 12 due to the educational crisis in South Africa or due to any other personal circumstances. It offers many benefits to a wide range of people for a variety of reasons.
Under lockdown, it’s a solution that enables students to study online and write their exams on any date they choose, when they are ready, as there are no set exam dates. No deadlines. No pressure and virtually no health risks! And the best part is that it doesn’t come with the high price tag of so many other online study programmes.
Salaries more than double if you have a Grade 12 qualification.
An out-of-school grade 12 alternative for the unemployable
In South Africa, the GED® is a solution for anyone out-of-school, outside of the mainstream school system, who is disadvantaged and unemployable because they don’t have matric.
South Africans who are under the age of 25 without matric struggle the most to find employment: according to Statistics SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (February 2020) 29% of the population are unemployed and in some regions, it’s as high as 60%.
The GED® is a second chance for these young people. It can help solve this educational and economic need by opening the way for them to get better jobs and to study further. It unlocks a pathway for people to gain 21st century skills so that they are more employable and can provide for their families.
The GED® is recognised by SAQA
GED® graduates can apply to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) for a Certificate of Evaluation. If successful, they will be issued with a Certificate which states that the GED® is the closest comparable qualification in South Africa is the National Senior Certificate (matric) or an NQF Level 4 qualification.
The GED® opens doors to further study
Students who complete this NQF 4 equivalency can apply to continue their education by pursuing NQF 5 courses and plot a pathway to even higher levels of education if they choose. The GED® opens doors of future opportunity where previously there was little hope of pursuing a pathway to professional success.
I always felt like I wasn’t smart enough to stay in public school, but I have new vision. I got accepted to UNISA today.
Aneke du Preez
The GED® is internationally recognised
Universities around the world allow for the global mobility of students by recognising qualifications from other countries. The GED® high school equivalency in combination with a prescribed SAT score is widely accepted as a qualification for admission. This means that the GED® facilitates freedom of movement of individuals, who wish to study abroad.
Tests can be written around the world
The GED® tests are written at over 3000 test centres in over 160 countries around the world. This means that individuals who travel internationally for sport, business or to immigrate can continue preparing for the GED® and write the test in another country, if necessary.
Content and skills are geared for the 21st Century
The GED Testing Service® regularly updates its test battery to ensure its quality and integrity and assessment methods meet the needs of the marketplace and college-readiness requirements in the 21st century.
The online GED® prep programme too is designed to equip students with the technical skills, critical thinking abilities, and global perspectives that are essential for success in today’s world.
Out-of-school study is self-paced
Since there are no set exam dates and the course is adaptive and self-paced, students can book and write their GED® tests at accredited Pearson VUE test centres, whenever they are ready. This means that candidates can more easily succeed at passing the GED® tests as they need only write them when they have mastered their study programme and they feel confident and ready to write the exams. Students with learning disabilities are eligible for accommodations on the tests.
The GED® realises the true aim of education
The GED® is an invaluable tool that puts educational advancement and economic upliftment within the reach of many who have been disadvantaged by failures of traditional school systems.
It enables the intention of Article 29.1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to be realised, namely education that is “directed toward the development of each child’s personality and full potential, preparing children to participate in society and to do work that is rewarding and reasonably remunerative, and to continue learning throughout life.”
The GED® serves the “child’s best interest” and society benefits too.
For many of the reasons stated above, it is evident that the GED® is an out-of-school grade 12 equivalent option that is in the best interests of many, who choose home education or online learning.
The GED® is a stepping stone that opens the doors of opportunity for further study as well as for professional advancement and success in the workplace of the 21st century.
The GED® enables students to be educated in a way that develops “the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential” (Article 29.1 of the UNCRC)”.
The GED® facilitates freedom of movement between countries without compromising a learner’s education by necessitating a change of school systems.
The GED® offers freedom and responsibility
The GED® is an out-of-school solution that offers students the freedom to exit the one-size-fits all conveyor-belt model of education and pursue a customised learning experience along their own individualised timeline. It teaches them to take responsibility for their own learning and their own lives and to become productive citizens who can take care of themselves and make positive contributions to their communities.
Contact us to find out about setting up a GED® study programme in your learning centre, business, church or local organisation to upskill your people, their families and your community.
If you have any doubts, here are contacts you can use to verify that this is a legitimate option for South Africans: How Do I Know that Online GED Prep is not a Scam
Take the first step to success.
Over 20 million people have earned the GED® credential around the world and in South Africa. It has enabled them to study further and given them better career opportunities. We, at Go Prep™ (previously Online GED Prep), will guide you at each step so that you can become one of them too. You can enrol at any time of year and book your tests whenever you are ready. No pressure. No deadlines.