Mixed views on pass rate plans
Education experts, principals divided over proposal to bring down requirements for high school pupils
THERE was a mixed reaction among education experts and Port Elizabeth principals yesterday over the Department of Basic Education’s proposal to amend pass requirements for high school pupils. National education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department had embarked on a broad consultation process with education and assessment experts, higher education institutions, parents and members of the public on amendments to pass requirements, namely:
ý Pass four subjects at 40%, one of which is a home language;
ý Pass any other four subjects at 30%; and
ý Mathematics is removed as a compulsory promotion requirement.
But there was an outcry earlier this week about the proposal that maths no longer be a compulsory pass subject.
Mhlanga said the department had started the consultation process to tackle high school dropouts.
“In many cases we have found learners pass all their other subjects well, but then fail maths and are forced to repeat the year.
“We understand that maths is an important subject but we are trying to cater for everyone.”
Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa (Amesa) president Dr Vasuthavan Govender said the organisation still needed to discuss the matter in-depth before it issued a statement.
“However, I believe there is an inherent danger if maths is no longer compulsory in lower grades. Pupils will feel they no longer need to concentrate on maths as it is no longer compulsory and they can pass by focusing on other subjects,” he said.
Elbe Malherbe, who recently retired as principal of the Ethembeni Enrichment Centre, said instead of the department focusing on high school pupils, it needed to tackle the problem during the foundation phase years.
“When kids arrive for high school, teachers expect them to be ready, but this is usually not the case and the primary school teachers are not to blame either because the foundation phase has its own challenges.”
But Victoria Park High principal Mike Vermaak said he agreed with the department starting the consultation.
“Pupils do have an option to drop maths in favour of maths literacy at the end of the day and there are some who struggle badly [with maths],” he said.
Education expert Professor Susan van Rensburg said many children battled with maths due to poverty and other circumstances.
“Some learners simply cannot get a grasp on the subject and while others can understand maths, there is a barrier to learning maths which is socioeconomic in nature.
“Those living in poor conditions are at a disadvantage as they do not always understand the context. These are the ones struggling to pass,” she said.
Bethelsdorp High principal Leon Arendse said: “I agree with the department as not all pupils go into the maths stream.”
He said he also understood why the department was striving for uniformity when it came to pass requirements.
“We need to keep all our pass requirements in line with the FET phase.
“People may see it as a drop in standards, but if you increase the pass mark more pupils will fail.”
South African Teachers Union chief executive Chris Klopper said they supported the proposal, and the proposed requirements were in line with those of FET phase education.
“Many in grades eight and nine will not continue with maths in the FET phase [so] it makes no sense for people to be failed if they don’t pass maths,” he said.
South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) spokeswoman Nomusa Cembi said they were prepared to negotiate the proposal, but did not think it would work.
“Maths is crucial. This [proposal] is creating the impression that everything is done to make things easier,” she said.
Language was also a crucial subject and changing the pass rate would be detrimental to the development of cognitive thought in pupils.
Pupils do have an option to drop maths in favour of maths literacy