So, Matric results have been released, and it seems some people are not impressed (or convinced) by the rise of the pass rate. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga describes this year’s results as a ‘remarkable achievement’. The pass rate stands at 67.8%, slightly below the targeted 70%. My eyes popped when it dawned on me that they increased by 7.2% from last year.
What is remarkable; however is that the ‘increase’ emerges from an academic year characterized by disruptions – the teachers strike and extended school holiday during the World Cup in May/June. These events would imply to a regular thinker that there was less teaching time invested. The teachers did, afterall, spend plenty of time outside the classroom. I’m in fact joking when I say that 2010 was practically a school holiday. Yet somehow, the results increased. Now, that’s remarkable. Congratulations, Minister!
One wonders what happened from the time the results were handed to quality assurer Umalusi on 24 December until today. Oh yes, most people were on leave, so the question of rigging I shall not entertain. . . There’s really no use in speculating, for we may never know what really happened. Well, not unless there’s 1. anything to know and 2. a whistleblower waiting to prove a few funny theories. Perhaps WikiLeaks has something on this? Or perhaps the majority of these students really did study vigorously? Perhaps?
Fair enough, it is not all that tricky to pass the exams if a pupil needs just above 30% to walk through the doors of a tertiary institution, student card in hand. It gets less simple in varsity, but some of them won’t even make it that far, whether or not they passed or not.
It almost sounds like students are being ‘passed’ at an extraordinary rate. Whether or not this is acceptable is not for me to judge - if it is even the case.
I imagine that the consequences of this ‘remarkable’ pass rate include students having poor reading and writing skills as far as English (and other languages) is concerned. Apart from that, I don’t see them suddenly becoming inspired to study extensively when they go to tertiary. What's the point? The cycle repeats, poor matric results – poor pass rate in varsity, well for some institutions. The consequences are far more in number. Nevertheless, only 23.5% of last year’s students obtained university entrance, so why entertain this argument in depth?
As is, trade union Solidarity said earlier this week that the future of matriculants looks bleak in that the majority of them will not find jobs. There’s nothing new there. One wonders what some of these ‘educated’ people will do, what they will resort to for survival. I wonder if someone in the Education department has the impression that we are a country full of budding entrepreneurs who do not necessarily need a good education, whatever that is.
Passing matric, however, is seen as a major accomplishment and it should not be taken away from anyone. Whether or not it is an M-pass or an S-pass, as some still refer to it. It is probably a teenager’s largest feat; I remember it that way for me. Afterall, they are yet to be married or be parents – in some cases. . .
For me personally, it is rather annoying that the results have to be published in newspapers for all to see. That must mean double the anxiety for some students, especially those uncertain of their results. You know for a fact that everyone knows you either passed or failed, in some instances, long before you do. Yes, the newspaper publishing thing is a pain. There must be a violation of some rights somewhere in there, not?
No comments:
Post a Comment