Low percentage passed

THIS was the week that was:

The real matric pass rate!

The editorial in the Sunday Times stated that the national dropout rate between grades 10 and 12 was nearly 45%! This means that of the pupils who reached Grade 10 only 40% passed matric and there were some who dropped out before Grade 10!

With the lowest matric pass rate of all provinces, the Eastern Cape real matric pass rate was less than 30%! Not good.

Congratulations to all the matrics who passed and those who tried. Those who dropped out must think about having another go.

Now is the more important decision: what further training is most appropriate for each of you to prepare you for your career and a job? Think carefully and don’t disregard training colleges and internships.

It is better to succeed at a diploma course than fail at a degree course.

The leader page article by Jonathan Jansen giving advice to matrics (passed or failed) (“Educate yourself widely”, January 5) should be compulsory reading for parents and school leavers alike. His academic experience (shortly to be lost to the US) shines through this article and gives us an insight into what “education” is really all about.

And it’s not passing or failing the South African matric!

Zuma reference to Jesus

No, now you (Mr No 1) are going too far! JZ was telling his supporters “the birth of the ANC is like the birth of Jesus” and “No one can stop the ANC because we have God on our side”!

Where has Thuli’s report gone?

You might be wondering, as I was, what is happening to the recommendation in Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report, namely that the chief justice should appoint the chairperson of a commission of inquiry into the report’s findings. The Sunday Times article gave me the answer: Jacob Zuma missed the 30-day deadline (which expired on December 2) to establish the commission of inquiry.

The DA has referred this to the Constitutional Court. Zuma, after missing the deadline, took the report to the high court for “judicial review” on December 12.

That has also been contested by the DA! So that’s where it stands – and more time for Zuma to stay in office.

Tony Wadsworth, Port Elizabeth