On the Matric results: Indeed matric pass rate is improving.
Why on God's green earth some people have suddenly developed misgivings about 30% pass mark on our schooling system, matric in particular. In the old system, the lowest aggregate pass mark for matric was 33% on a subject mix of lower, standard and higher grade. In all likelihood, the current 30% minimum aggregate pass mark is equivalent or even higher qualitatively compared to the old system given that all pupils currently take all subjects in one grade equivalent to higher grade of the old system.
Could it be that those who have a problem with 30% pass mark want all our matriculants to become rocket scientists or they have some sinister motive? I suspect the latter. Ever since our matric pass rate has taken an upward trajectory since the Zuma administration, all manner of mischief has been employed by some to discredit the credibility of this upward trajectory.
First, the debate around 30% pass mark is important but it is technically flawed if not mischievous to use it to question the credibility of the consistent rise of matric pass rate since 2009. Since this 30% pass mark is not new, technically, the improvement in the matric pass rate since 2009 couldn't have been biased upwards by this minimum pass mark.
Moreover, I am yet to hear a coherent and compelling argument for the increase of minimum pass mark from 30% in grade 12. Do we want to produce rocket scientists from the whole matric base? The demand side of the labour market requires different skills set.
Surely a 30% mark in grade 12 mathematics is enough to become a good bank teller or even enough to handle basic mathematics required to pass a research methodology masters degree module in humanities. I am not even sure if you require a matric certificate to answer a phone in a university call center. Fact is that the matric certificate provides for everyone. Those who want to become rocket scientists would have to do a lot better than achieving a 30% pass mark in mathematics.
Second, the churn-out of learners from the school system particularly in grade 10 is not new and there are many reasons for this including the long distances that learners have to travel to high school/senior secondary schools in rural areas. High schools cover larger population than primary/junior secondary schools in rural areas. Unless it can be proved that this churn rate has increased since 2009, there is zero probability that the improvement in the matric pass rate is biased upwards by learner drop-out.
In contrast, there is higher probability of the opposite effect of learner drop-out to matric pass rate since we can safely assume that learner drop-out rate is decreasing owing to government introducing school transport and building more schools in rural areas to mention a few. If this is the case indeed, the high matric pass rate is understated since a statistical adjustment of learner-drop out has not been performed in the calculation of matric pass rate.
Fourth, the likes of Professor Jansen from Free State University must stop second guising our youth ability because they never achieved a 100% pass mark in grade 12 mathematics. The world has moved on since your matriculation. Today's high level of access to information and technology is unprecedented. If anything is required, it is the overhaul of first year university curriculum in order to adequately respond to changes in our basic schooling system, acute inequalities between urban and rural schools and different English language proficiency among our learners as a result of their background.
Lastly, matric pass rate is one of the important performance indicators of our education system including learner drop-out rate and other variables. Ceteris paribus, an increasing matric pass rate is a reliable indicator of an improving education system. I have already argued above that there is no indication to suggest that other variables such as learner drop-out rate have worsened since 2009. Thus, without any fear of contradiction, the increasing matric pass rate since 2009 indicates that our basic education system under Zuma administration is improving.
Linda Nobaza is a PhD candidate in the department of mathematics and applied mathematics UWC.
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