Publications
Partners
The real matric pass rate is 37.3%, and not 75.1%, if the number of Grade 10s from 2015 who later became dropouts are accounted for.
This was according to the Democratic Alliance, who said in a statement on Friday that while the party congratulated the class of 2017, the “real” pass rate numbers were a cause for distress.
“We are deeply concerned by the truly shocking dropout figures that put the real matric pass rate at 37.3%, when the pass rate is calculated from the Grade 10 class of 2015 who then passed their final school exams in 2017.
“Only 49.7% of Grade 10s actually wrote the final National Senior Certificate exams and a startling 37.3% of 2015’s Grade 10 learners actually passed.
“This means that more than 62.7% of Grade 10s did not pass, dropped out or become stuck in the system – sometimes as a result of purposeful action by school leaders,” the DA’s basic education spokesperson, Nomsa Marchesi, said.
https://twitter.com/City_Press/status/949236721522302979
Marchesi said that the numbers were a cause for serious concern, rather than celebration.
“The situation has worsened from last year’s real pass rate of 40.2%, suggesting that our schooling system is not a ‘system on the rise’ as claimed.
“The ‘real’ pass rates for each province highlights a dire situation which means that learners will not be able to enter post-school education or job market this year,” Marchesi said.
The party has called on Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to urgently look into the high dropout rates and investigate what happened to the learners who drop out.
“Nearly half of Grade 10 learners are dropping out of or getting stuck in the system – delaying their entry into post-school education and the job market.
“South Africa is among the worst performers in terms of education internationally, having been placed last in Grade 8 science and second-last place in maths out of 39 countries for the Trends in International Maths and Science Study 2015.
“More recently, we came out last in Grade 4 reading skills out of 50 countries for Progress in International Reading Literacy Studies 2016. The study revealed that 78% of South African Grade 4 learners are illiterate.
“If the matric pass rate is to improve, Minister Motshekga will have to address key problems facing her department,” Marchesi said.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters in Western Cape have congratulated matriculants, but expressed concern in a statement on the decreasing
pass rate in the province.
“The downward trend in the matric pass rate in the Western Cape is a massive cause for concern. The Western Cape education department therefore has absolutely no reason for celebrations.
“Urgent intervention is needed to adequately assist learners to deal with the societal challenges, for example, gangsterism, drug abuse, unequal educational resources, access to the digital world, libraries and importantly creating a conducive learning environment for the citizens of the Western Cape,” the party said.
It called for intervention from the province’s governing party.
“The EFF calls on the DA-controlled government of the Western Cape in general and the provincial education department to step up immediately to address the mentioned challenges holistically, to ensure real success in all spheres for the poor and neglected people of the Western Cape.”
 |
| ||||||||||||
