Low retention rates for Grade 12s takes shine off results says
SUCCESSFUL 2012 matriculants have justifiably celebrated their achievements after the results of the National Senior Certificate were released last week. Many who passed did so despite far from ideal conditions; their successes in particular deserve recognition.
Now that the first flush of celebration has passed, it is time to take a hard look at what the results really reveal about the state of our education system.
Some of the questions that need to be raised are the following:
Why is the “real” pass rate only 37.5%?
Based on the number of learners enrolled in Grade 1 in 2001, and who, if all went well, should have matriculated in 2012, the real pass rate is only 37.5 %. Why is the retention rate so low?
Numerous studies have been undertaken on the reasons for our low retention rate; but have the findings and recommendations of these studies been adequately pursued?
What action will be taken in cases of continued dysfunctionality within schools and/or districts – will anybody be held accountable?
Moretlwe Secondary School in Limpopo achieved a pass rate of 43.8% in 2011 and 28.6% in 2012. Fort Beaufort district in the Eastern Cape achieved an average pass rate of 41.7% in 2011 and 44.7% in 2012.
Will principals be held accountable? Will district managers or subject advisors or provincial managers have to account? Who will take responsibility for the continued failure to ensure quality educational outcomes for learners entrusted to their care, and how?
Why are there still such obvious differences in achievement in different quintiles and different provinces?
A child should have the same opportunities no matter the location or socio-economic circumstances of his or her birth. This is not the case in South Africa.
There are still three very obvious bands of achievement within our system. Schools within Quintiles 1, 2 and 3 scored pass rates of 63%, 66% and 69% respectively – all very similar results.
Schools classified as Quintile 4 achieved a pass rate of 83%. Quintile 5 schools – the best-resourced schools – achieved a pass rate of 94%. Twenty years after the advent of democracy, these differences should not be so pronounced. Schools are considered dysfunctional if they achieve a pass rate of 60% or below.
In ascending order of dysfunctionality, the percentage of such schools per province are 7% in the Western Cape, 9% in the Free State, 10% in Gauteng, 12% in North West, 16% in the Northern Cape, 28% in KwaZulu-Natal, 32% in Mpumalanga, 38% in Limpopo and 50% in the Eastern Cape.
Has union activity played any role? What are the differences in teacher competence levels and teacher professional development?
The most important question, of course, is what is being done to reduce
Based on the number of learners enrolled in Grade 1 in 2001, and who, if all went well, should have matriculated in 2012, the real pass rate is only 37.5 %. Why is the retention rate so low?
the level of dysfunctionality where levels are high, and exactly who is being held accountable?
How can our exceptionally poor performance in literacy and numeracy assessments be reconciled with our “improved” maths and science pass rates?
South Africa has been at the bottom of the international pile with respect to literacy and numeracy, and the recently released results of international studies have not reflected any improvements.
The results of our own annual national assessments are equally alarming. The majority of learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9 cannot read with understanding and cannot be considered numerate. How do they then pass their grades and achieve passes in matric, and what does this say about the quality of these passes?
Of the matriculants who wrote mathematics, 54% passed with a score of 30% or higher. Only 36% of maths candidates scored higher than 40%. The trends for physical science and accounting are very similar. Most universities insist upon a distinction in mathematics as an entry requirement to degrees such as engineering and actuarial science. Bearing in mind that the annual national assessment of 2012 showed that only 13% of Grade 9 learners can be considered numerate, it is likely that the number of maths distinctions will be shockingly low.
Is there indeed no crisis in education, as Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga states?
If there is no crisis in education, why are we seeing an exponential growth in independent schools? Between 2000 and 2010 the number of learners enrolled in independent schools increased by 76%. This trend is continuing.
Another question that needs to be asked is, why do our universities use benchmarking tests to assess students, and why is it necessary for them to offer bridging programmes? Universities do not trust the credibility of the National Senior Certificate. What is being done to rectify this?
It is critical that we provide all our young people the opportunity to pursue a productive future – with the capacity to learn skills within a job or career, or to become an entrepreneur, or to pursue further studies. If the National Senior Certificate cannot give them access to these options, it is for all practical purposes, useless.
In ascending order of dysfunctionality, the percentage of such schools per province are 7% in the Western Cape, 9% Free State, 10% Gauteng, 12% North West, 16% Northern Cape, 28% KZN, 32% Mpumalanga, 38% in Limpopo and 50% in the Eastern Cape.
Annette Lovemore is a DA MP and Shadow Minister of Basic Education