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Maths the fly in the matric pass ointment

Pass rate jumps, but number of pupils writing and passing mathematics falls (with tables)

JOHANNESBURG - 537,543 pupils wrote government's National Senior Certificate examination in 2010. 364,513 (67.8%) passed - an 11,9% increase from the 2009 pass rate. Mpumalanga (18.6%), Limpopo (18.2%), KwaZulu-Natal (15,7%) and the Eastern Cape (14.3%) all saw the biggest jump in their pass rates. The Western Cape had the smallest percentage increase (1,5%), allowing Gauteng (9.5%) to overtake it as the province with the highest pass rate. (Table 1)

The number of pupils passing with a ‘Bachelors Pass' increased to 126,371 from 109,697. This meant that 23.5% of those who wrote matric passed with the higher of the three grades of pass, up from 19.9% in 2009 (a 18,1% increase.) The Western Cape's bachelor's pass rate was down slightly from 31.9% to 30,9% (-3.1%). Most other provinces saw big percentage increases. (Table 2)

263,034 (or 48,9%) of pupils wrote the mathematics paper, 38,620 fewer than in 2009. Of these 124,749 (or 47,4%) passed with 30%, 14,104 fewer than in 2009. 81,374 (30,9%) passed with more than 40%, 9,325 fewer than in 2009. (See Tables 3 and 4.) This means that of all those who wrote matric 15,1% passed the mathematics paper with more than 40% (down from 16,4% last year).

Table 1: Overall pass rate change 2009-2010:

  2009 2010 Point Increase % increase
Gauteng 71.8 78.6 6.8 9.5%
WCape 75.7 76.8 1.1 1.5%
KZN 61.1 70.7 9.6 15.7%
FS 69.4 70.7 1.3 1.9%
ECape 51 58.3 7.3 14.3%
NWest 67.5 75.7 8.2 12.1%
Ncape 61.3 72.3 11 17.9%
Limpopo 48.9 57.8 8.9 18.2%
Mpumalanga 47.9 56.8 8.9 18.6%
National 60.6 67.8 7.2 11.9%

Table 2: Bachelor's pass rate change 2009-2010:

  2009 2010 Point increase % increase
Gauteng 29.1 33.9 4.8 16.5%
WCape 31.9 30.9 -1 -3.1%
KZN 19.9 25.7 5.8 29.1%
FState 20.2 21.3 1.1 5.4%
ECape 13.9 15.9 2 14.4%
NWest 20.7 27.7 7 33.8%
NCape 16.8 21.1 4.3 25.6%
Limpopo 12.2 15.6 3.4 27.9%
Mpumalanga 12.1 15.8 3.7 30.6%
National 19.9 23.5 3.6 18.1%

Table 3: Mathematics pass over 30% 2009-2010

  2009 2010 Change
  Wrote Passed % Wrote Passed % No. writing No. passing % passing
Gauteng 47,567 26,499 55.7% 40,024 23,839 59.6% -7,543 -2,660 6.5%
WCape 19,210 12,467 64.9% 17,544 11,571 66.0% -1,666 -896 1.6%
KZN 74,215 33,094 44.6% 65,973 31,407 47.6% -8,242 -1,687 6.3%
FState 13,258 7,062 53.3% 11,003 5,321 48.4% -2,255 -1,741 -10.1%
ECape 43,251 16,198 37.5% 38,801 14,457 37.3% -4,450 -1,741 -0.5%
NWest 13,684 7,119 52.0% 12,703 6,782 53.4% -981 -337 2.6%
NCape 13,258 4,593 34.6% 3,627 1,896 52.3% -9,631 -2,697 33.7%
Limpopo 50,342 19,716 39.2% 49,192 19,469 39.6% -1,150 -247 1.0%
Mpumalanga 24,860 9,596 38.6% 24,167 10,007 41.4% -693 411 6.8%
National 301,654 138,853 46.0% 263,034 124,749 47.4% -38,620 -14,104 2.9%

 Table 4: Mathematics passes over 40% 2009-2010

  2009 2010 Change
  Wrote Passed % Wrote Passed % No. passing % passing
Gauteng 47,567 18,827 39.6% 40,024 17,465 43.6% -1,362 9.3%
WCape 19,210 9,369 48.8% 17,544 8,879 50.6% -490 3.6%
KZN 74,215 20,249 27.3% 65,973 19,425 29.4% -824 7.3%
FState 13,258 4,365 32.9% 11,003 3,422 31.1% -943 -5.9%
ECape 43,251 9,206 21.3% 38,801 8,280 21.3% -926 0.3%
NWest 13,684 4,616 33.7% 12,703 4,458 35.1% -158 3.9%
NCape 13,258 4,365 32.9% 3,627 1,259 34.7% -3,106 5.2%
Limpopo 50,342 11,804 23.4% 49,192 11,757 23.9% -47 1.9%
Mpumalanga 24,860 5,889 23.7% 24,167 6,429 26.6% 540 11.0%
National 301,654 90,699 30.1% 263,034 81,374 30.9% -9,325 2.8%

Data source: Department of Basic Education, Report on the National Senior Certificate Examination Results (see here - 5Mb PDF), January 6 2011

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