Half of Ilembe matrics fail exams

A dark cloud hangs over the Ilembe district with nearly half of all matrics failing their 2015 final National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

With a dismal pass rate of 51.93 percent, 8.77 percent below the disappointing provincial average of 60.7 percent, the district has little to celebrate and will have to dig deep to turn around its performance in 2016.

Out of a total of 9141 Ilembe matrics who wrote the NSC exams, 4747 passed and only 1316 passed with university exemption. Coupled with the 276 pupils who enrolled but never wrote exams, the pass rate drops to 50.4 percent.

Peggy Nkonyeni, KZN MEC for education, choosing to focus on the total number that will contribute to the country’s workforce, rather than the percentage pass rate, described the results as “satisfactory”.

KZN was the province with the highest number of enrollments, 54 000 more than Gauteng.

Nkonyeni said the province did well because it produced the highest number of passes in the country.

“Access to education is more important than results and it is great to have so many in KZN having access to schooling. We have a poor percentage, but the highest number of passes and are therefore making the biggest contribution to the national economy,” she said.

Allan Thompson of the National Teacher’s Union (NATU) did not accept any excuses and attributed the class of 2015’s depressing performance to overcrowded classrooms, a lack of teaching materials like textbooks, and the province not employing the much needed maths teachers.

He also criticised the department’s progression policy that sees pupils who fail pushed through to the next grade.

“This policy does not enjoy the support of any educator in this republic. A pupil who failed grade 11 is pushed through to grade 12 and he fails grade 12, he cannot come back and repeat grade 12. But if that pupil is held back and allowed to repeat grade 11, that learner will be equipped to pass grade 12,” said Thompson.

He said the ever changing curriculum without training for teachers to master the new curriculum, was breaking down teachers’ confidence and ability to teach effectively.

Nomarashya Caluza of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) said issues raised by unions have up to now been ignored by the department.

She said department officials came up with ineffective intervention programmes without talking to unions who deal with teachers on a daily basis.

“We told them the bounce back programme would not work, but they did not listen to us,” said Caluza.

She said last year KZN premier Senzu Mchunu, sent out a circular (financial circular 6/2015), freezing all posts for three months, leaving children without teachers in key subjects like maths, accounting and physical sciences.

Sihle Zikalala, ANC provincial chair, said he was concerned about the stability of the department, quality of managers and the lack of proper teaching and support for pupils.

Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.

Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join us on BBM at 59015786
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.