MEC Debbie Schafer: 2015 Systemic Test Results

27 Jan 2016

It is with great pleasure that for the second time this year, I am in a position to acknowledge and commend schools in the Western Cape that have produced excellent results. This time it is in respect of our Grade 3, 6 and 9 language and Mathematics Systemic Tests in 2015.

As a province we believe in the value of providing diagnostic assessment of the provincial education system so that we can improve the management of education and learner performance. We are the only Province in the country to conduct testing of this nature – which is independently set, administered and marked so as to ensure that the results are credible and in line with international standards. The service providers included the Universities of Pretoria and Cape Town.

The Systemic Tests provide the most objective picture possible of learner performance in language and Mathematics, giving us the opportunity to assess whether we are improving the quality of education in the province.

They are valuable as they inform our language and mathematics interventions which aim to improve the quality of teaching and learning in each school, and form a basis for the improvement of the management of education and learner performance.

The 2015 tests

Last year more than 229 000 learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9 successfully wrote the Systemic Tests in October 2015. The tests were then independently marked and the results will be released to schools today.

Examiners have included more difficult texts in the language tests for Grades 3 and 6, to bring them in line with international benchmarks.

They are satisfied that the Mathematics tests are already in line with international benchmarks for Mathematics

The 2015 results

I am delighted with the results of the 2015 Systemic testing which have shown marked improvements in Mathematics and Language in the Western Cape over the last five years.

The results include pass rates and average marks. The WCED defines a pass as 50% for the purposes of the test. This is not the pass rate used for promotion purposes, which is 50% for Home Language, 40% for First Additional Language and 40% for Mathematics in all three grades.

The results are as follows:

Mathematics:

I am very pleased to see that learner performance in Mathematics has improved steadily in the Western Cape over the past five years, according to the latest Systemic Tests results.

The pass rate for Grade 3 Mathematics has improved by 10.4% over the past five years, from 47.2% in 2011 to 57.6% in 2015, while the language results improved by 6.8% from 46.3% to 53.1%.

The pass rate for Grade 6 Mathematics has improved by 14.3% from 23.4% in 2011 to 37.7% in 2015. The average mark improved by 8.2% during this period from 37.6% to 45.8%.

The pass rate for Grade 9 Mathematics has improved by 11.8%, from 10.4% in 2011 to 22.2% in 2015. The average mark improved by 9%, from 24.9% in 2011 to 33.9% in 2015.

While we still have a lot of work to do in this area, I am pleased that there has been marked progress. It indicates that our interventions are working.

Language:

The language results are generally steady, with increases over the past five years, despite the introduction of more difficult texts, to align them with international benchmarks.

Grade 3 language results have remained the same with a pass rate of 42.4%. This is commendable as the level of difficulty has increased. Also notable is that there has been a 12% increase in the pass rate from 2015 compared to 2011.

Grade 6 language results have shown an improvement of 5.3% over the past five years, from a pass rate of 31.5%in 2011 to 36.8% in 2015, although results have fluctuated over this period.

It is pleasing to see improvements in these two Grades given that the standard of difficulty has increased over the past five years.

The Grade 9 language pass rate saw steady improvement from 44.2% in 2011 to 53% in 2015, an increase of 8.8%. The average mark improved by 3.4% from 48.9% to 52.3% during this period.

Conclusion:

The Systemic results ultimately show that our interventions are working, and that the quality of teaching and learning in our schools is improving.

Factors that have played a role include significant investment in teacher training, ongoing testing, and support by our districts.

The tests reflect the hard work of our teachers and the ongoing support of our districts. I would like to congratulate them all for these improvements.

It is interesting to note that the Grade 6 cohort was the first to follow the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) since Grade 1.

This may have also contributed to the improvement. The strength of CAPS is that is specifies exactly what must be taught when, with a strong focus on language and Mathematics.

Examiners have reported that learners are approaching tests with greater confidence and are tackling more questions, especially in Mathematics, which also helps to explain the better results.

The results however show that we still have a lot to do to improve results further.

The WCED has provided reports to every participating school, which they can now use to inform their school improvement plans for 2016.

The reports compare the school’s results to overall provincial results, and identify exactly what the school needs to focus on to improve results further.

Most schools will be pleasantly surprised at their improved results. We encourage schools to share these results with parents so that they can work together to develop the skills of their children.

Our challenge is now to maintain the momentum reflected in these results so that we can build the foundation our children need for further learning.

I look forward to celebrating the success of individual schools at the Annual LITNUM Awards taking place on 18 February 2016.

Statement issued by Debbie Schäfer, Western Cape Minister of Education, 27 January 2016