South Africa has a mental health crisis, and thousands of graduates are ready to step in and help. Yet most of the time, psychology degrees lead to no practice, no practical training, and no route into the profession.

South Africans have studied psychology for years, and invested their time and money, along with their families, only to remain academics. They want to be practitioners, and being an academic does not guarantee a job. We want employment as helping professionals, and training that prepares us for registration and practice.

We are not asking to lower standards. We are asking for a clear, fair pathway. We call on the Professional Board for Psychology at the HPCSA to review and amend its policies, to explain the rationale behind how those policies are made and implemented, and to meet with us formally so we can put specific proposals to the Board.

We call on the Department of Higher Education and Training to take responsibility for training, so that education and training lead to the ability to practise. If you studied psychology and want to use it to help people, sign and share. Open up the space. This petition was started by Masechaba Ngwenya. For more information, email: masechabangwenyafuture@gmail.com.