According to deputy CEO Alana Bailey, a report of the Department of Basic Education states that 1 168 581 learners had been in Grade 1 in 2002.
“Hence, only roughly 562 000 learners had written matric examinations in 2013, which is about 48 percent of the learners who first enrolled in 2002, and out of these 500 000 odd learners, 78.2 per cent passed,” says Bailey.
“The announcement made by the minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, that the matric pass rate has improved from 73.9 per cent in 2012, to 78.2 per cent in 2013, thus raises concerns on whether it is an increase. “As AfriForum commented that if one compares the number of learners who enrolled in Grade 1 in 2002, and successfully completed Grade 12 in 2013, it results in the actual pass rate being less than 38 percent.
“Accordingly the actual pass rate of the Grade 1 learners of 2002 is less than half of the announced percentage.
“In addition, independent tests found that the literacy and numeracy levels of matriculant`s often are so low that it results in an inadequate prerequisite for employers.
“This leaves the prospects of learners who do not obtain their secondary education in a worse position.”
Baily adds that the implementation of a youth subsidy is of little significance when the Department of Basic Education delivers a decreasing number of employable people, thus the youth is being failed dismally.
“However it is essential for the Department to accept responsibility and find solutions in cooperation with education experts for issues pertaining to the delivery of textbooks, inefficient curriculum options, and the paralysing actions of some education unions, inadequate training opportunities for teachers, dysfunctional schools and a lack of mother-language education.
“Until then, the annual celebration of a supposedly increasing matric pass rate amounts to little more than a political spin exercise that takes place at the cost of South Africa and all of its people.”
