Gauteng shines in exams
Gauteng matriculants have achieved their best results since the birth of democracy, the opening of education to all, and the creation of the province twenty years ago. This is according to Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy on the 2013 matric examination results.
“Besides the pass rate of 87 per cent for 2013 – up from 83.9 per cent a year ago – the detailed results underline the increasing quality and consistency of the teaching and learning in schools in the province,” says Creecy.
“The 2013 results show that Gauteng achieved 17.42 per cent more bachelor passes than a year ago, which means that 38 104 learners have earned the right to apply for further education, up by 5 655 on a year ago.
“At the same time, the province has produced an increase in diploma passes of 10.82 per cent.
“In all, 85 122 Gauteng learners passed matric in 2013, up by 9 888 learners or 13.14 per cent when compared with 2012.
“These figures indicate that we have not only managed to keep pace as the numbers of learners have grown with the expanding numbers of residents in Gauteng, but that we have in fact set the pace when it comes to empowering children from the African majority.
“We have continually improved their access to the quality education, which can open doors to jobs and further qualifications.
“Particularly pleasing is the fact that all 15 education districts in Gauteng achieved a matric pass rate above 82 per cent for the first time,” says MEC Creecy.
She adds: “Significantly, we have made important strides in closing the gap between schools serving poor communities and those with a strong middle class component, as shown by the narrowing gap in the performance by fee paying and no fee schools.
“The detail of the 2013 results show that education’s upward trajectory of the last years in Gauteng continues and that the improvements remain sustainable even while the GDE responds to a growing learner population.”
Gauteng has also showed the following:
*A five per cent improvement in the number of maths distinctions to 2 177.
* An increase over 2012 from one to four learners from township schools achieving a 100 per cent pass rate in maths and science.
* A rise in the maths pass rate by 3.68 per cent to 74 per cent meaning not only that more learners passed maths, but that they did so at a higher level of competence.
* A rise in the physical science pass rate by 8.57 per cent to 76 per cent.
* A rise in the life science pass rate of 2 per cent.
* A rise in the economics pass rate by 7.9 per cent to 82 per cent.
* An increase in the number of distinctions by 814 to 35 903.
“There is a further aspect of the results which is perhaps even more pleasing, because they show that the centre is not only holding in Gauteng, it is expanding,” says Creecy.
“These are the indicators which more than any others tell us that the efforts being made by teachers, school heads, and district and head office officials are paying dividends in the form of an ever growing number of children from working class and poor backgrounds, most of them African, who are getting a good education.”
Creecy says the GDE knew that many of those who had not achieved the results they had hoped for had given the matric exams their very best effort, and that there is no shame in what has transpired.
“Before doing anything else, they should find out from their schools exactly what their results are, whether to think about writing a supplementary exam, taking all their exams again at the end of this year, or what other options may be open to them.
“Pupils who are feeling down should go to their religious or community leaders, talk to their parents or someone else they trust, or phone Lifeline on 0861 322 322.”
