Teachers are the real matric top achievers

The IEB and NSC matric results are now known and once again this region had plenty to celebrate as our youth produced some outstanding achievements.

Names of the most successful learners have, quite rightly, made the headlines after a school academic year that was unlike any other.

The Department of Basic Education can be extremely proud of the fact that, despite the loss of many months of formal class time, a pass rate of 76.2% was achieved.

While this is a decrease of 5.1% compared with the class of 2019, it is a tremendous accomplishment given the loss of hours, lack of direct teaching and the ‘work from home’ regime.

At the same time, there was far less absenteeism than in previous years when it came to the numbers who wrote the exams.

There is no doubt that, given the circumstances, the Covid-19 situation was, by and large, wellmanaged.

And here it is the teachers who must receive the highest praise.

Their sacrifice and resourcefulness in coming up with a plan that would help their learners excel, went beyond the call of duty; there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to validate this.

And it is with pride that many of our schools could boast a 100% pass rate.

Learners showed that, given the necessary dedication to studies and a devoted teaching corps, excellent results are possible.

Indeed, local learners shone in many instances, obtaining numerous distinctions.

So, if many can succeed in the current education system, why is there still a high failure rate, with nearly a quarter of the learners not making the grade?

In some cases, particularly with regard to rural schools, the problem is one of a lack of amenities, while lack of discipline and teacher absenteeism are also perennial problems.

Having said that, the term ‘failure’ is a misnomer.

Certainly, the matric exams offer a measurable standard against which academic capability and effort can be assessed.

However, there are many other attributes, skills and qualities, other than the ability to excel academically, which lead to success in the adult world.

One must caution that high grades alone are a guarantee of future accomplishment.

While the probabilities are that a matric certificate will be a key to open many doors to careers and a productive future, many have succeeded in life without a matric certificate – or in some cases with no formal education at all.