Mixed feelings about the Eastern Cape matric results

Our latest Facebook question was: How do you expect the Eastern Cape to fare in this year’s matric results?

What do you think can be done to improve the situation?

Readers expressed different views about the appalling state of the department of education, and how they are failing pupils by always decreasing the pass percentage.

Margaret Norton Weller said: “Some of the schools [looks like mainly the private schools] have done very well. Pity the government doesn’t care about the most vulnerable.

“Need smaller classes, well-trained teachers/educators. More and better equipment, books received on time, more affordable education, or go back to the teachers/pupils again [and I don’t mean the old dispensation],” she said.

“A lot also depends on the parents controlling their children and supervising homework, etc.

“So many solutions could be used, but most of them cost money.

I think staying at school until homework is finished is a good idea. Don’t think too many teachers would like that though.” Russell Deutschmann shared the same sentiments as Weller about the government not doing enough.

“The education department needs to do as they preach.

“Stop playing games with the kids’ future,” he said. Jenni Nicholabest blamed the pupils for their poor results.

“I suppose it might help if they bothered attending school in the first place,” she wrote. Syd Young said he expected the results would be good since the department was always lowering the required pass percentage.

“Should be good with the upgrading of marks for most subjects and lowering of pass rates,” he said. Theo Kemp jokingly said the department must lower the pass rate again.

“Stupid question, if you want better results just lower the pass mark to 20%,” he said. Cynthia Deutschmann added that pupils might as well not attend school.

“They might as well just not go to school – they will be given jobs, but only for BEE,” she said. Peter Fleischack said he preferred not to comment on the issue. Beverly Young said from what she had read online, the pass rate was disappointing all-round. Kathi MacKenzie remarked that those who believed in the future must be encouraged.

“To encourage those who believe in a future. We are all in a cage or a web of nature . . . we are all amazing survivors.” Anne Atteridge-Tyrrell felt that we are celebrating mediocrity. Nick Louw believes that the pass rate must be increased to increase knowledge.

“Simple, to increase knowledge increase the pass rate to 65%, to increase the pass rate decrease the pass [percentage] to 30%,” he said.