Matric Results 2009: SADTU response:

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) congratulates successful matric candidates, their families, the teachers and the examiners. Those who did not make it this time should not give up, and we expect the Department of Education to support their efforts to re-write.

Overall the results still reflect the two economies i.e. the learners from the working class and poor communities still experience problems and clearly reflecting the informal and the formal economies.

The Union welcomes the prompt release of the 2009 matric results, and the fact that systems are now embedded both to prevent irregularities and to benchmark standards. The fact that the irregularities in Mpumalanga were quickly picked up is encouraging especially as they wont affect the release of the 2009 matric results in that province.

We fully support the actions of Umalusi in conducting full investigations of the affected areas. This is necessary to preserve the integrity of the exam results which is in the interests of learners.

The evidence is that the irregularities in Mpumalanga stem mostly from fly-by-night private schools providing a market for exam papers provided by corrupt or lax officials. This clearly points to a need for greater regulation of this sector.

The Minister of Basic Education has acted resolutely in stripping the province of its powers to run exams. In the light of repeated problems in Mpumalanga's Department of Education we also call for an independent commission of enquiry. Further we strongly urge legislators and education portfolio committees to call education department heads to account for education delivery in their provinces. Similarly, circuit managers and district officials must take responsibility for poor performance in their districts. We are also calling on our members - school by school - to analyse the failures and successes in their own institutions and to draw up plans to address the challenges.

Brief analysis of results

1. Standardisation process

The Umalusi Standardisation Report indicates the following:

• that 41 out of 57 subjects' raw marks were accepted - indicating that papers were largely set at the correct level.
• Physical sciences - there is a need to streamline the curriculum which is currently too difficult
• Life orientation - need for a standardized approach
• Maths and Accounting - there is a desperate need to improve the quality of teaching. This calls out for a concrete plan for teacher development

 2. Access

We are encouraged by the numbers writing matric - 552,000 - compared to 533,000 in 2008.

The pass rate of 60.6% - down from 62.6% in 2008, gives grounds for serious concern. Whilst KZN experienced an increase, most provinces declined. Even so the overall numbers passing in absolute terms remains the same.

As SADTU we would like to believe that the additional Saturday school programmes implemented by the Union in KZN made a contribution.

A large percentage of the cohort of learners - 45% - never reached matric.

We believe that to maintain the momentum for increased access, we have to understand and address the factors which lead to drop out and failure. Our sense is that issues of historical disadvantage and poverty associated with race, class and the rural-urban divide, and uneven support and poor management especially in some districts and provinces are crucial here.

For those who write and fail - a third, ie some 217,000 this year - what provision is there to support them in re-writing?

3. Quality

Endorsements (university exemptions) stand at 32% of passes. There is a small increase in absolute numbers to 109,697.

For those students - from poor communities who pass and achieve endorsements - much more needs to be done to assist access to tertiary and higher education institutions.

For school leavers who do not go to university, the development of the FET sector and skills development opportunities in industry become vital especially in this period of high unemployment.

The Way Forward:

As SADTU we would suggest a number of strategic challenges and priorities for 2010:

• We need to address the systemic problems - the lack of resources in the poorest schools and the uneven performance between provinces. Overcrowding is still a reality in many schools in poor communities. Amongst others, this means addressing infrastructural backlogs and the post provisioning model. We must not lose sight of our vision for a holistic education - including sports, arts and culture - and the need to develop the full potential of every child.
• We need to develop and support teachers. Teachers who are confident in subject matter and teaching techniques are crucial to delivering quality education. These issues were fully covered by the 2009 Teacher Development Summit. The task now is to finalize a concrete plan for roll out starting in 2010. This must include the opening of education colleges.
• Analysis of the matric results indicates the language of instruction remains a challenge for English second language candidates. We need to provide more resources, time and teachers to address this both in terms of expanding home language tuition and improving the quality of English teaching. SADTU welcomes the national curriculum review which promises to increase time devoted to language at the foundation phase. We need to be very clear that language development is vital to both arts and sciences, as well as being the bearer of the culture and heritage of all our peoples.
• The important changes announced in last years' national curriculum review need to be fully explained to teachers who need to buy into their implementation. Important changes include:
  • reduction of portfolios and administrative load on teachers
  • streamlining learning areas in the intermediary phase
  • clearer guidelines for lesson plans and assessment protocols and better use of textbooks, including workbooks for the foundation phase
  • more time for ‘basics' - language and maths - in the foundation phase

We need to remind ourselves that education takes place over 12 years (or more) and cannot be measured simply by the matric outcomes.

• Most importantly, as stakeholders - teachers, learners, parents, community and the Department of Education - we need to commit ourselves to improving the quality of education. To this end, SADTU fully supports the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign with the understanding that teachers must be ‘on time, in class, on task, well-prepared, and professionally behaved at all times.' By the same token, the Department of Education needs to provide basic infrastructure, learning materials and training and local support to teachers.
• As the schools reopen next week we are calling on all teachers to ensure that they start on time, and that the basics are in place for learning and teaching to take place: textbooks and stationery are delivered, needy children are catered for, posts are filled and overcrowding is addressed.
• Provinces must make explicit how and where repeaters are to be accommodated and supported. We dare not abandon these learners to a life of unemployment and hopelessness.
• We call upon financial institutions and NSFAS to provide financial support to poor students in order to increase access to tertiary and higher education institutions.
• Above all, we need to learn from the problems and challenges faced this time around. It is essential that the Department - and its researchers - provide deeper analysis and insights into the results. What were the problems? What did KZN do right? What is the way forward? We would propose that the findings of such research be presented at an indaba of stakeholders at the earliest opportunity.

Statement issued by the South African Democratic Teachers' Union, January 7 2010

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