Spotlight on quality maths and science teaching
AS THE school community prepares for the 2017 year, high school principals and teachers are faced with the daunting task of improving maths and science results.
The province yet again failed to achieve a 50% pass rate in both these major subjects.
In 2016, 39 564 pupils wrote the maths exam and only 14 826 (37.5%) passed. Though a slight improvement on 2015’s 37.3% pass rate, it is still a slide from 2014, which even then was unenviable at 42.5%.
The physical science graph shows the same pattern: the total who wrote in 2016 was 27 534 and 13 655 passed. This was an increase of 3.7% from 2015’s 45.9%. In 2014, the pass rate was at 51.8%.
Accounting studies, however, has maintained a pass rate of above 50%. In 2014, the province achieved 61.4% followed by a huge drop in 2015 to 52.2%, but in 2016, the percentage increased to 61.7%.
The same goes for agricultural science, which has been above 70% over the years.
Creative studies such as dramatic arts, design, dance studies and languages have impressive pass rates of between 99.9% and 100%. Maths literacy increased by 0.4% to 56%. Life sciences at 61.7% is up by 1.9% from 2015’s 59.8%.
Atotal of 82 756 full-time pupils sat for the exams with 49 042 passing.
Education experts recommended an investigation into maths teachers’ qualifications, stock-taking of school resources and stricter pupil admission as possible remedial actions.
East London-based education expert Dr Ken Alston said the problem could be starting from the foundation.
“We like to talk about matrics, but I think the problem starts much lower down, in primary school.
“You can't get something right at the top if the foundation is not done right. If schools are not ensuring solid grounding in maths in the first nine years, then they cannot expect the children to get it right once they get to matric.”
Alston called for an investigation into maths teachers’ qualifications as part of numerous remedial measures.
“I'm not saying these teachers are not properly qualified, but I do think an investigation needs to be conducted into the standard of their qualifications and whether or not they are receiving the proper training. The other issue could be poorly resourced schools,” he added.
This was echoed by another education expert, Dr Bukiwe MbiliniKuze, who works as a deputy chief education specialist at the education department’s Fort Beaufort district.
Mbilini-Kuze said another issue which needed urgent investigation, are the marks the teachers themselves obtained when pursuing their qualifications.
She highlighted the frequent curriculum changes as another possible problematic issue.
“If they were struggling with the subject at university, what hope is there that they can teach this to our children? Other teachers are not qualified to teach maths at all. So how then do we expect them to perform wonders in the classroom?” Mbilini-Kuze asked, adding that early revision could also assist.
“Most schools wait until September to start with revision and then they try and cram all of this information into the pupils’ heads and that just doesn’t work. We cannot start panicking only when we see the year is drawing to a close.”
At the announcement of the country’s results, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga praised the 33 521 pupils who had achieved marks of 60% or more for maths. The figure stood at 31 812 in 2015 and an even lower 30 314 in 2014.
Addressing the achievements of the 2016 matric class, education MEC Mandla Makupula said of the 38 subjects written in the province, only 10 small enrolment subjects had declined.
Makupula said a three-year plan to improve the overall pass rate in the province had an admirable impact. This plan included providing support packages to schools which fall between quintile 1 to 3, the rationalisation and realignment of small and unviable schools into fresh start schools and increasing the supply of appropriately trained teachers through teacher development programmes.
He said: “Moving forward, we need to intensify focus on quality teaching and learning. We must come up with combative measures to support teaching and learning at the classroom level.”