38000 more failing kids pushed to matric

Cape is one of two provinces with decline in progression

MORE than 100 000 pupils who did not meet the pass requirements at the end of Grade 11 are in matric this year, an increase of about 38 000 compared to the previous year. Preliminary figures provided by the Department of Basic Education show that 104 136 pupils were progressed to Grade 12 this year compared to 65 673 last year.

KwaZulu-Natal, which had 10 633 progressed pupils in matric last year, have 28 036 progressed pupils this year.

The Western Cape and the Free State were the only provinces where the number of progressed pupils had declined.

In the Western Cape, the number decreased from 4847 last year to 3019 this year.

The decrease in the two provinces was a “good sign”, said Dr Rufus Poliah, chief director: national assessments and public examinations.

Poliah said this was the third year progression was being applied at Grade 12 level. “We are hoping that we will get to a point where there will be no reason for progression.”

He said a number of pupils being progressed should not be in the academic stream, but in a technical or a vocational stream. This is the third year progression

is being applied at Grade 12 level.

He said progression was not “pass one pass all”.

“The learners must still satisfy the requirements of Grade 12.”

To qualify to be progressed to matric, pupils had to meet four requirements.

They would have had to attend school regularly (not be absent for more than 20 days), passed four of the seven subjects, passed the language of learning and teaching and complied with the requirements in terms of school-based assessments.

Qualifying progressed pupils have been given the option of writing some of their matric subjects this year and the remaining subjects in June.

In August, the Cape Argus reported that Education MEC Debbie Schäfer was “exploring the possibility” of introducing provincial regulations, which could compel schools to ensure pupils have met the required pass marks for their grade before being progressed to the next one.

This was one of a number proposed amendments to the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act of 1997.

“The national progression policy has caused some concern for us, as it appears to have given learners the idea they do not have to work or attend school regularly, as they will simply be progressed to the next grade if they fail more than once in a phase,” Schäfer said.