POLITICS

Matric 2017: Successes and failures need to be examined - Nomsa Marchesi

DA MP says committee should visit the most improved and regressed schools in SA

Matric 2017: DA to request visits to most improved and declined schools

The DA will today write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, to request that the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education visit the most improved and most declined schools in South Africa in terms of matric pass rates.

Five schools (of 30 or more candidates) have made the greatest strides in improving their pass rates from 2015 to 2017:

Province

School name

2015 pass rate (%)

2016 pass rate (%)

2017 pass rate (%)

Change % 2015-2017

KZN

MKHOMBISI HIGH SCHOOL

24.5

37.3

100

75.5

EC

TYELINZIMA HIGH SCHOOL

15.6

32.4

88.6

73

EC

ZINYOSINI SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

26.5

62.7

96.2

69.7

KZN

MPIKANINA HIGH SCHOOL

24.7

7.1

93.3

68.6

EC

HLANGWINI SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

17.5

53.2

86.5

69

It is important that we understand what has made these schools more successful over time and what insights their leaders can offer to other schools to assist in improving their performance and make sure more students pass.

Unfortunately, there are many schools where the pass rate has deteriorated significantly. The five schools were the pass mark has dropped the most from 2015 to 2017 are:

Province

School name

2015 pass rate (%)

2016 pass rate (%)

2017 pass rate (%)

Change % 2015-2017

KZN

UMHLOLUTHINI HIGH SCHOOL

84.9

4.2

3.3

-81.6

LP

MAMPHODO SECONDARY SCHOOL

95.7

64.9

19

-76.7

KZN

ISISUSA SECONDARY

95.5

81.1

26

-69.5

MP

BEN W MASHEGO SECONDARY SCHOOL

96.3

47.9

29.8

-66.5

LP

RAMOSHOBOHLE HIGH SCHOOL

94.4

63.5

35.7

-58.7

Such a drop in performance is disappointing, and the circumstances leading to the decline must be investigated.

It is imperative that we identify and address the challenges facing our schools, rather than wait for second-hand reports from the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The best way to do this is to conduct official oversight visits to these schools as the Committee and to use this experience to better evaluate the policies so we can improve the quality of education our children receive.

Statement issued by Nomsa Marchesi MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Basic Education, 7 January 2017