East Cape likely last in class

Experts expect matric results to once again lag behind rest of SA

THE Eastern Cape is hoping to finally break its sevenyear streak of being labelled the worst-performing province in the country for matric passes, but experts believe the province will once again be at the bottom of the class.

The rankings will be revealed tonight when Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga delivers her annual matric results announcement.

There were 802 630 part-time and full-time candidates who sat for last year’s examinations nationally, with 105 757 of them from the Eastern Cape – all anxiously anticipating a positive increase in the pass rate.

The matric class of 2010 was the last group of Eastern Cape pupils who were not ranked last in the provincial standings.

While the 2010 class was on the tail-end of the scorecard with 58.3%, it was followed by Limpopo with 57.9% and Mpumalanga ( 56.8%).

However, since 2011, the province has consistently managed to achieve the worst matric results, with pass rates between 58.1% and 65.4% in the years that followed.

Despite improving by more than 2%, having attained a 59.3% pass rate in 2016 from 56.8% in 2015, the Eastern Cape was the only province in the country that failed to achieve a 60% or higher matric pass over those two years.

However, despite the dismal results, Department of Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the province had shown improvement since the implementation of its Education Transformation Programme two years ago.

The programme seeks to improve matric results through providing infrastructure, prompt delivery of textbooks and mobilising community involvement in schools, among other recommendations.

“Since the implementation of the plan there has been an increase in matric pass rates, and now we [department] need to be allowed time for this positive change to take place,” Mtima said. Asked whether the department anticipated a pass rate of more than 60%, he said: “We are hoping for positive change in the results – it might not be huge but it will change.

“And change is not an event, it is a process we continue to work on.”

Asked whether the department believed the province would move from last position, Mtima said: “Anything is possible.

“The percentages both overall and during individual exams are merely a means to ensure pupils experience pressure and allow them and us to perform at full potential. “It needs to be a joint effort. “Our goal is for every pupil who registers for matric to pass within the same year – which can only be done with the help of parents, pupils and the community.

“We [the department] are there to provide the tools necessary to achieve success such as infrastructure and learning materials.”

However, education expert Professor Susan van Rensburg said she believed the Eastern Cape would remain bottom of the class unless a long-term education plan was implemented by the department.

“Being seen as a rural province is no excuse for poor results – provinces such as Mpumalanga and Northern Cape are also largely rural yet they rank above us annually.

“We need a long-term plan, not a task team sent in to investigate and make changes which never last,” she said.

“The department has always had money to make changes, improve infrastructure and provide learning material, yet we have the worst record despite the department annually returning unused money to Treasury.”

Educational psychologist Sandra Roger said: “Nothing will change for the province unless the approach of starting at the bottom [Grade R] and working up is adopted.

“It is pointless having new schools, textbooks and so on if the pupils have not received basic education. It is too late in matric to try to fix things, because these pupils have no foundation to build on.

“What are they going to do with a new school and textbooks without proper teaching?

“So the province will remain the same unless a long-term approach from the bottom up is adopted.”

Northern Areas Education Forum secretary Richard Draai also believed the province’s position would remain unchanged.

“There are positive signs coming from Bhisho but we are a long way away from resolving the core problems. There are still teacher shortages, Elsen [special needs] learners not accommodated and primary school teachers waiting for payment,” Draai said.

“Yes, the results have improved lately, but there are still core problems which need to be addressed to avoid ruining this fragile record.

“There are high schools in the northern areas where subject teachers are missing. How is a pupil expected to perform without a teacher?”