Education: strive towards quality

THERE is certainly ample reason to celebrate the 3.1% increase in the national matric pass rate announced last week, and congratulations are in order for the thousands of pupils who worked extra hard over the past year to achieve this encouraging result.

The long hours they put in, the sacrifices endured and the effort invested in preparation for the 2018 National Senior Certificate exams have paid dividends and it’s now time to make decisions about the studies and skills they wish to pursue towards their futures.

To those who did not succeed in last year’s exams or performed below their expectations, there is no reason to feel despondent. There will be many opportunities in the years ahead to improve and learn new skills to build their plans for life.

But while celebrations may be in order, the increased pass rate shouldn’t fool anyone into assuming education in South Africa is on a sound footing. We have a long way to travel before we can make such claims.

The grim reality is that South Africa still ranks among the under-achievers when measured against other education systems in the world. When it comes to maths and science, although, there have been definite signs of improvement in recent years, we still sit too close to the bottom of the rankings.

Another disturbing feature is the high percentage of pupils who after six years of schooling are still not able to read for meaning. What about the thousands who have to repeat grades during their schooling or those who drop out of the system after Grade 10?

When you take into consideration the severe adversities suffered by pupils in over-crowded and dilapidated classrooms and the appalling lack of technological resources, libraries and laboratories in many schools, you begin to understand the enormity of the challenge that lies ahead.

What should be uppermost in the minds of the custodians of education is not necessarily the pass rates we achieve or the number of A pupils we produce.

That may look impressive on paper but what’s far more important is the quality of education our schools are delivering.

And it’s not just a question of funding. Our government in fact devotes a far greater percentage of its budget on education than other more developed countries.

What is critical is how our funds are spent to prepare pupils for the challenges that lie ahead.

We need to strive towards a system that ensures equal access to quality education for all.