Constraints in the Delivery of Adult and Community Education and Training Programmes for Offenders in Limpopo Province, South Africa
Nkarhi E. Mathebula 
& Mohammed Xolile Ntshangase
Issue: Vol.6 No.10 Article 11 pp.2386 – 2399
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561011 | Published online 26th September, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Most governments have always desired to reintegrate young offenders back into their communities through educational programmes. However, this is met with a myriad of constraints in delivering such programmes. Information about these constraints is scarce in South Africa. This paper highlights the constraints to the delivery of Adult and Community Education and Training programmes for offenders in Limpopo Province, South Africa. This study used a case study qualitative research approach. A total of 15 participants were identified by purposeful sampling. These 15 participants were recruited from Polokwane, Makhado, and Thohoyandou Correctional Centres in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Data were collected through document reviews and semi-structured interviews. The study findings indicated that (1)Needs analysis is not conducted before the commencement of the programme; (2) The Adult and Community Education and Training programme for offenders in Limpopo Province is not adequately funded; (3) Educators do not receive adequate training necessary for the teaching of offenders; (4) The department does not do the monitoring of the programme as it was supposed to do. The findings imply that policies should be developed on funding programmes and training of educators should be developed. The findings also imply that practitioners should perform an effective, compelling needs assessment so that relevant programmes can be designed. Education and Training programmes for offenders because these very factors are the possibilities/ constraints to the delivery of these programmes. Furthermore, the findings imply that practitioners should ensure that there is ongoing monitoring of the programme to check its effectiveness.
Keywords: Offenders, Correctional Centres, Adult and Community Education and Training programmes, Policy, Desistance and Constraints.
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Nkarhi Excellent Mathebula graduated with a BA degree at the then University of the North (Now University of Limpopo) in 1996. Because he has always wanted to become a teacher, he enrolled for a Higher Education Diploma (HED) which he obtained the same year. He went to further his studies wherein he completed a Bed Honours in 1997. In pursuit of knowledge, he went on to register for Master’s degree in Adult Education which was later conferred in 2014. In the year 2021, Nkarhi Excellent obtained a PhD in Adult Education from the University of Limpopo. Nkarhi Excellent Mathebula is presently affiliated with the University of Limpopo under the Department of Education Studies, serving as a Senior Lecturer of Adult Education, Philosophy of Education, and Teaching Practice. His has presented a papers in four (5) academic conferences and has published 11 articles in DHET accredited journals.
Mohammed Xolile Ntshangase holds a PhD in philosophy, and he is currently affiliated with the University of where he serves as a senior lecturer within Education Studies department. Within the Department of Education Studies, Dr Mohammed serves as a lecturer of Philosophy & Psychology of Education. His areas of research interest are African philosophy, philosophy of education, psychology of education, and gender studies. He has attended and presented papers at 13 academic conferences including national and international ones, and he has more than 42 publications in DHET-accredited journals.
Mathebula, Nkarhi E. and Mohammed Xolile Ntshangase.“ Constraints in the Delivery of Adult and Community Education and Training Programmes for Offenders in Limpopo Province, South Africa,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 10 (2025): 2386 – 2399, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561011
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
