Matric pass rate cut ... for some markers
Teachers not meeting original criteria mark simpler questions
● The Eastern Cape education department has lowered its requirement for some teachers to qualify as matric markers in physical science after applicants failed to meet the eligibility criteria.
The shock move comes as most of the more than 790,000 matrics countrywide start their exams this week.
According to a document dated January 21, an Eastern Cape teacher would be eligible for appointment as a marker if their matric class in 2016, 2017 or 2018 achieved a pass rate of 50% and over in the subject that the teacher taught.
This was subsequently dropped to 40% for about 10 teachers applying to mark physical science after the provincial education department failed to get the required number of markers.
Eastern Cape education spokesperson Mali Mtima said the teachers whose classes scored below 50% would mark low-level questions such as multiple choice questions and “not things that require a lot of judgement. So we don’t see it as a risk.”
Mtima said the department went on an intensive campaign especially at former Model C schools to recruit English home language markers because of a shortage in this subject.
“We requested teachers from schools offering English home language to apply, and this resulted in 23 applications recommended, which brought the shortage from 26 to three,” Mtima said.
He said markers would not have to undergo a competency test but rather intensive training before marking started.
Responding to the lowering of the requirement for some physical science teachers in the Eastern Cape, Lucky Ditaunyane, spokesperson for matric exams watchdog body Umalusi, said: “The pass rate of learners is not necessarily an indication or measure of teacher competence to mark exam scripts.”
Mpumalanga will this year send some of its matric papers to Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal for marking.
A total of 232 scripts for agricultural sciences 1 and 2, and 18 for religion studies 1 and 2, which will both be written in Afrikaans, will be marked in Gauteng. A further 329 dramatic arts, design and electrical technology scripts will also be marked in Gauteng.
Mpumalanga arranged with Western Cape markers to mark 126 economics paper 1 and 2 scripts and 32 history paper 1 and 2 scripts that will both be written in Afrikaans. Mpumalanga’s 102 isiZulu papers 1, 2 and 3 scripts will be marked by KwaZulu-Natal. Mpumalanga will return the favour by marking KwaZulu-Natal’s siSwati scripts.
Free State education department spokesperson Howard Ndaba said it would send its siSwati and sePedi scripts to be marked in Gauteng as “there are no suitably qualified markers to mark these scripts in Free State”.
North West confirmed that it was short of 11 markers, including eight for English home language and three for Afrikaans second additional language.
Mpumalanga, Free State, Limpopo, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape told the Sunday Times they had no shortage of markers. Gauteng did not respond.
The Western Cape is the only province that subjects prospective markers to competency tests and only those scoring 60% and above are eligible.
Meanwhile Professor Servaas van der Berg, of the economics department at Stellenbosch University, applauded the Western Cape for administering competency tests, saying they should be conducted in all the other eight provinces.
“Protecting the status and quality of the matric exam is very important. These [competency tests] are obviously things that can help in this regard,” he said.
He described the drop in pupil enrolment in key subjects as “concerning”.
A total of 104,553 pupils registered for accounting last year compared to 92,172 this year — a drop of 12,381. Maths recorded a decrease of 11,926 pupils — from 270,516 last year to 258,590 this year.
“The fact that physical science is also down, along with maths, is worrying in terms of those two being important subjects for continuing on to the sciences at university,” Van der Berg said.
Nkosana Dolopi, deputy general secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, slammed calls for markers to be subjected to competency tests.
“In grade 12, pupils have to do continuous assessment, which includes tests and projects. Teachers mark these tests and there’s no competency test that a teacher has to undergo before marking the test.”
Said Dolopi: “Teachers are qualified and were not picked from the street. Why do you doubt teachers when they have to come and mark grade 12 papers?”