Congratulations to the class of 2013
The SACP notes and welcomes the announcement of the 2013 National Senior Certificate (Matric) results by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, yesterday, 6 January 2013.
The SACP congratulates learners, educators, parents, national and provincial education departments, the Minister of Basic Education and provincial education MECs, school governing bodies and other stakeholders and volunteers in education, who have worked hard to achieve the overall pass rate of 78.2% - the highest ever since our democratic transition in 1994. This is an indicator of significant improvement not only in leaner performance, but also in teacher performance, as well as in the performance of the basic education system in general, including at lower grades, which are a feeder to the National Senior Certificate.
The results have been improving. Just in the past four years, President Jacob Zuma led administration improved the results from 60.6% in 2009 to 67.9% in 2010, to 70.2% in 2011, 73.9% in 2012, and now by 4.3% to 78.2% in 2013. The 78.2% of the 2013 results represents 24.8% improvement of results by our national democratic revolution, from the 53.4% in 1995. This affirms and reflects the relevance of our strategic objective as led by President Zuma since 2009, to make education a societal priority.
The SACP says: "Congratulations to the class of 2013".
The SACP also wishes to congratulate our ANC led government for prioritising education. These improvements are a reflection of the gains being made through making education a priority. Indeed these achievements reflect the fact that South Africa is much better place since the ANC came into power in 1994! The SACP therefore calls upon the incoming administration after the 2014 national elections to continue to make education an apex priority.
The 2013 matric achievements must be used as a further platform to tackle all the outstanding challenges in our education system. In particular, increased attention has to be paid to making all our schools functional and the improvement of quality, especially in those educational institutions that still largely cater for the children of the workers and the poor.
The SACP pledges to be part of, and in particular instances lead, the mobilisation of our communities behind making our schools to work and to improve their functionality and effectiveness. We call upon the working class, especially its organised sections, to take direct responsibility for quality education, including functional schools.
The SACP calls on all our people and communities not to be demoralised by professors of doom and anti-majoritarian liberal critics such as Theuns Eloff, Jonathan Jansen, and their ilk, who say the results are fraudulent. The fact is that these destructive critics are not neutral. They are serving a political agenda that is not prepared to acknowledge the advances made by our government as led by the African National Congress.
Statement issued by the SACP, January 7 2013
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