Equal Education’s quest for relevance knows no bounds, 03 January 2019 

The Department of Basic Education is extremely disappointed by Equal Education’s attempt to gain media exposure by attempting to discredit the announcement of the 2018 Grade 12 NSC results in a statement before they have even been released.

This takes away from the individual accomplishment of each and every learner that has passed through at least 12 years of schooling and worked hard to attain this all important qualification that in many instances is a gateway to a brighter future.

We view this as nothing more than a grotesque attempt to get media attention, which ultimately speaks to their funding model, on the back of trivialising the NSC results.

We believe the organisation has stooped to an all new low, by calling the release of the results a “misleading fanfare”, yet at the same time they are begging the department for accreditation to attend the very same event they are seeking to deprecate. If they are so concerned about the fanfare then why do Equal Education members so desperately want to attend?

They accuse the Department of having a “narrow preoccupation” with NSC results, we view this narrow focus as theirs alone. The NSC results is just one of a multitude of events, activities and programmes that speak to improving all areas of the education system.

At no point has the Department claimed that the NSC is the only barometer with which to measure the system, it has many, this is but one, and it is an important one. As a system it is important to have barometers to evaluate the success of the sector, not only to celebrate when we measure improvements but also to look at where interventions need to be placed to mitigate challenges.

Progress in the sector has also been confirmed in the international and regional assessment programmes, which Equal Education acknowledges, while at the same time seeking undermine the successes of the Department. TIMSS (2015) has confirmed that South Africa has shown the largest improvement since 2003 of any country in the world in these important assessments with an increase of 87 points in Maths and 90 points in Science.

The premature nature of their statement can only be described as embarrassing for them, as the Minister will be addressing a multitude of important areas in her address. We would advise that Equal Education stop to look and listen before they criticise what they do not know. 

Statement issued by Elijah Mhlanga, Department of Basic Education, 3 January 2019