Pass requirements charade

24 November 2014

The DA does not believe that simply increasing the pass requirements for Grades 7, 8 and 9, without the proper support to teachers and students, will increase the quality of education.

The Minister of Basic Education, Ms Angie Motshekga, must co-ordinate a nation-wide concentrated action plan to train teachers to enable them to teach at the required level to help improve the quality of education in South Africa. 

Reports today indicate that the Department of Basic Education has sent circulars to schools indicating that, because requirements have increased, failure rates will increase and that schools therefore need to adjust marks upwards to ensure that pass rates are maintained (see here).

This does nothing to help improve our education system or to prepare our children for success in life. The fact of the matter is that we need better quality teachers to ensure good education.

According to the new pass requirements learners must:

Pass 8 of their 9 subjects, compared to 7 of 9 in 2013, 

and achieve 50% for their Home Language, compared to 40% previously 

and 40% for their First Additional Language, compared to 30% previously 

However according to the 2013 Annual National Assessments (ANA's), the average Grade 9 learner achieved:

43% for Home Language literacy,

33% for literacy in a First Additional Language,

In South Africa's worst-performing province, the Eastern Cape, only 21% of learners achieved 50% for their Home Language tests.

The ANA's show the real result of our education system. The Education Department can play with the pass rates all they like, but as long children cannot read, write and calculate properly, they are not prepared for success in the labour market. 

Not every teacher has been trained in the new curriculum and only a minority of teachers have received any additional training in the teaching of languages and literacy.

To supply quality education, the Minister must go back to basics. Make reading, writing and arithmetic her priority focus areas. Every indicator shows that the average child is not numerate or literate.

Merely increasing pass requirements cannot increase the quality of education.

Statement issued by Annette Lovemore MP, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, November 24 2014

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