There could be an interesting shift in this year’s Matric results at local schools.
A policy which gave matrics whose first language was not English or Afrikaans an additional 5 percent of their original mark in subjects including geography and maths has been scrapped.

This year’s matric pupils will be the first not to benefit from the policy since 1999.

The rationale for the policy, intended as an interim measure, was to compensate for the disadvantage faced by pupils forced to write their final exams in a language which was not their mother tongue.

The policy meant that if a pupil’s original mark in a non-language subject such as history or economics was 50 percent, they would receive an additional 2.5 percentage points.

According to Umalusi spokesman Lucky Ditaunyane said the quality watchdog had decided in 2011 that the policy would be scrapped after the 2013 exams.

Ditaunyane said matrics who were registered with an African language as their home language, and English or Afrikaans as their first additional language, had qualified for the language compensation.

Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department was “confident” that discontinuing the policy would not adversely affect the performance of pupils.
The Courier will illicit comment from local schools once these re-open on Monday, July 21.