‘Support matric pupils’
Hopes for smooth examinations and improved results
AS THE 2019 National Senior Certificate matric examination starts next week, education stakeholders are confident all mechanisms are in place to ensure a smooth process.
Thirona Moodley, the KwaZuluNatal chief executive officer of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa), said the union was optimistic the province’s pass mark would improve from last year’s 76.8%.
“This is due to both teachers and pupils becoming more accustomed to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement system.”
She commended the Department of Basic Education on the various intervention programmes it implemented this year.
This included the Improvement Plan that strived to improve pupils’ performance at all levels with an emphasis on Grade 12. Extra tuition was also provided.
“The province and districts conducted extra tuition and revision sessions during the Easter, spring and winter holidays.”
She said Naptosa believed the department had the administrative capacity to manage the examinations without incident.
Vee Gani, the chairman of the Parents’ Association KZN, said: “The department issued a statement that they were ready and have been competent so far. We also have a new MEC and following the examination and its results, he will need to map out a new direction to improve going forward.
“However, we also need to ask: are the pupils ready as well? I think most pupils would be because they know Grade 12 is an important year and many of them started preparing in Grade 10. They know they have to produce great results to enter a learning institution or a university.”
But the results, he said, could be affected because of the adverse challenges faced by pupils and schools.
“Some schools have a shortage of subject teachers as well as equipment, which can make studying difficult. At others, as widely reported, there have been various incidents of sexual and physical abuse. This can cause pupils to lose focus and not perform to the best of their ability.”
The department is hopeful the pass mark would improve by about 5%.
Anne Oberholzer, the chief executive of the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), said they were also hoping for a smooth examination process.
The IEB examination started on October 8 and will end on November 29. Last year, the IEB pass rate was 98.92%. Oberholzer said they expected around the same figure.
“We hope for the best, but pupils can face sudden challenges in their lives which may affect them. We also hope the exams proceed without obstacles such as demonstrations outside schools or service delivery protests, which will result in pupils not being on time or not writing a paper.
“It is also the duty of our society to support them so they are able to achieve their best results, ensuring them a better and brighter future.”