MECs hold thumbs for better matric pass rate

WITH only one day left until the big announcement of matric results, three Eastern Cape MECs expressed high aspirations for an improvement.

While none would give the pass percentage they were hoping for, saying they did not want to preempt the results that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will announce tomorrow, they all hoped for an improvement on 2016’s pass rate.

In 2016, the Eastern Cape obtained a 59.3% pass rate, which placed the province at the bottom of the national class.

Speaking to the Dispatch yest education MEC Mandla Makupula said the department had spent a lot of money on a number of intervention programmes to improve the matric results and he paid off.

One intervention was to contract Gen Consultants, an agency that helped the Free State become the top province in 2016 with an 82.2 % pass rate – an improvement of 6.6% when compared to the previous year.

Transport, safety and liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana said tremendous commitment had been displayed by pupils and teachers alike, and there had been a dramatic improvement in the department of education’s administration.

“All we can do now is hope for the best, the best being an improvement,” said Tikana.

Finance MEC Sakhumzi Somyo was also hoping for an improvement considering the resources that had been invested.

“We have thrown a lot of money into improving education in the hoped they had province, with specific focus on matriculants. Also, there was minimum disturbance in the academic year which almost guarantees an increase in the matric pass rate,” said Somyo.

In 2016, the department introduced a three-year plan to improve education which included increasing the number of functional schools, strengthening the administration and management of curriculum delivery, speedy appointment of qualified teachers, teacher training and improved use of information and communications technology.

Makupula said in the first year the plan had been executed, there had been a slight increase in the matric results when the province attained 59.3% in 2016 compared to the 56.8% it achieved in 2015.

“We are in the second year of the plan and things look positive.” —