Western Cape blames influx from ‘weaker’ provinces for declining matric results

Migrating pupils from “weaker” provinces have been blamed for the decline in the matric pass rate in the Western Cape.

So said Debbie Schafer, Western Cape education MEC. She was referring to the province’s backslide from number three spot in 2018 to number four last year.

Historically, the Western Cape has been among the top performers in the country.

But, the last time it led the pack was in 2015 and since then it has slipped backwards.

“I would certainly like to see the Western Cape in the number one spot again, but I am pleased with the results this year considering the difficult circumstances under which we are working – such as increasing numbers, people coming in Grade 10 from other weaker provinces, decreasing budgets, increased class sizes and worsening socioeconomic circumstances,” Schafer said.

For four years – from 2008 (78.4%), 2009 (75.7%), 2010 (76.8%) and 2011 (82.9%) – the province topped others in the country.

But, it dropped in 2012 (82.8%) to second place. In 2013 the province came fourth achieving 85.1% – a position it retained in 2014 (82.2%).

It topped the provinces in 2015, achieving 84.7%, but dropped again in 2016 to second place achieving 87.7%, which it retained the following year with 82.7%. In 2018 it came third, achieving 81.5%.

Despite getting fourth place last year, Schafer said the pass rate had increased last year, from 81.5% in 2018 to 82.3%.

In addition, she said the increased number of bachelor passes was an important indicator of quality education.

She said 21 981 candidates had achieved a bachelor pass, equalling 43.6% of candidates in the province, compared with 42.3% 2018.

Importantly, the increase in the pass rates in lower quintile schools showed that the Western Cape was closing the inequality gap.

The pass rate in poor schools – those classified as quintile 1 (Q1), quintile 2 (Q2) and quintile 3 (Q3) – increased last year.

• For Q1, the pass rate increased by 1.5% with the bachelor pass rate increasing by 4.4%;
• For Q2, the pass rate increased by 5.8% with the bachelor pass rate increasing by 5.8%; and
• For Q3, the pass rate increased by 1.9% with the bachelor pass rate increasing by 2.8%.

“The top matriculant in the country, the top quintile 5 pupil [from a rich or well-resourced school], and the top two pupils in mathematics attended Western Cape schools. The province obtained the highest percentage of distinctions,” Schafer said.

The Western Cape had achieved a 64.3% retention rate, the highest from Grade 10 to 12.

“This is by far the highest in the country,” she said, adding that this was achieved through interventions such as taking care to avoid the practice of “culling” to improve pass rates.

“Culling involves losing weak pupils along the way so that schools and provinces can achieve a higher pass rate,” she said.

Other interventions included:

• Focusing on improving the reading, writing and calculating abilities of pupils, particularly in the foundation phase;
• Improving pupil outcomes in the foundation phase through the basic education department’s language and mathematics strategy, which increased the chances of retaining pupils in the system; and
• Providing significant attention, support and remedial action for pupils who were struggling and at risk of dropping out.

Schafer said she agreed with Nomsa Marchesi, DA MP, who said on Tuesday that the “real matric pass rate” was 38.9% not 81.3% as announced by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.

Schafer said Motshekga’s matric pass rate did not give a full picture of the quality of education in a province.

“It does not sufficiently capture whether pupils are moving successfully through the system, or the quality of the matric passes. Indeed, the basic education department recognises this and has created an ‘inclusive basket’ measure of the matric results as a more accurate measure of education system quality.

“The basket includes the matric pass rate, maths pass rate, physical sciences pass rate, percentage of bachelor passes, distinctions obtained, maths participation and the throughput rate.

“The measure has ranked the Western Cape as the best performer more than once,” Schafer said.

She said she had high hopes for the province’s matric class this year.

Msindisi Fengu Journalist | City Press

+27 11 713 9001 Msindisi.Fengu@citypress.co.za Media Park, 69 Kingsway Road, Auckland Park

Rise above the clutter | Choose your news | City Press in your inbox

City Press is an agenda-setting South African news brand that publishes across platforms. Its flagship print edition is distributed on a Sunday.