Now That the initial hullaballoo and self-congratulation is over, it may be time to reflect on the Matric results, and particularly on the significance of the 70.2% national pass rate. Jonathan Jansen hits several nails on the head, and I borrow shamelessly from his article (“Matric razzmatazz conceals sad reality” – Weekend Argus, 7 January).
1. 52% of children who started in Grade 1 never made it to Matric. That is 539 102 young people. Where are they now?
2. “The requirement for passing is so low that pupils really have to put in a special effort to fail.” i.e. All that is needed to pass is 40% in a home language, 40% in two other subjects and 30% in three subjects! This is how low we set the bar!
3. There is great pressure on schools to only enter candidates who have a good chance of passing, and to advise students to select subjects that they are likely to pass (e.g. Maths Literacy rather than Maths). The Maths pass rate was 46%, and fewer students wrote Maths. In fact, the number of students enrolled for Matric declines each year.
4. Many Matriculants will find that they lack the skills or qualifications to find a job. Only a small proportion (24.3%) will qualify to enter university – and many of those will fail their first year.
The national obsession with Matric pass rates is counter-productive, and does not serve the real interests of our learners.
Is it not time for someone to say that the Emperor (in this case our Minister of Basic Education) has no clothes?
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