Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Matric results reality check
Too early to celebrate, says expert WC pass rate down from 2016
EDUCATION experts have welcomed the 2017 matric results but cautioned that the pass rate alone should not be used as a barometer for the quality of education in South Africa.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga released the matric results on Thursday, reflecting a national pass rate of 75.1%.
Education expert Corvell Cranfield, who is director of the School Turnaround Foundation, said the 2017 pass rate did not mean that the education system was in a good state and that achievement levels were stabilising.
Cranfield said it was “premature to celebrate the so-called improvements” in the system as not all the data for an in-depth analysis was available yet.
“However, I hasten to add that the obsession with percentages of pass rates increasing or decreasing is such a low level quantitative analysis that simply hides the real truth.
“For example, a school could have a 100% pass rate for maths, but the average for the subject is 37% and the range of scores for the class is 30% to 42%. Noting that, the pass mark for maths is 30%.”
He said it was imperative for all schools to change how they thought and planned for 2018.
“You cannot plan for Grade 12 success when learners are in Grade 12. Planning must start in Grade 8. If we continue to do the same activities every year it is not rocket science that we will get the same results. We need to think differently about quality education by designing schools of excellence within our townships,” he added.
A total of 802 431 pupils registered for the exams but only 651 707 sat for the exams at the end of 2017.
A total of 497 schools achieved a 100% pass rate‚ 7.3% of all schools – down from 8% in 2016.
At least 153 610 pupils received a pass rate which will allow them to study at university; 161 133 are eligible to study for a diploma, while 86 265 obtained higher certificates which allows them to study at the Technical and Vocational and Training colleges (TVET). A large number of those who passed were from the no-fee schools nationally with 76 300 of them receiving a Bachelor’s degree pass.