Misconceptions that students are faced with when attending the TVET colleges

Answer guide for “Evaluate any TWO misconceptions that students are faced with when attending the TVET colleges”. This is from 2025 Grade 11 Life Orientation Source-based Task Term 1.

Apart from Lindiwe’s case study, as a grade 11 learner, you should know what are the common misconceptions that students are faced with when attending the TVET colleges in South Africa.

TVET colleges are not the first choices for many students due to the misconceptions that students are faced with, such as:

Misconception #1: TVET college students are not that clever

This misconception has been caused by the idea that only students who fail matric or struggle academically go to TVET colleges. In reality, TVET students develop specialised technical and problem-solving skills that many degree students lack.

Misconception #2: Tvet college students are poor

The view that tvet students are poor comes from the fact that NSFAS funds many TVET students, and public TVET colleges are generally more affordable than universities.

While TVET colleges provide affordable education, many students choose them for career-focused training advantage, not just because they are cheap. In the real world, some TVET colleges partner with industries to provide workplace experience, making their graduates even more employable than some university graduates.