Raising matric bar 'a recipe for failure'

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Cape Town - A committee set up to investigate the matric pass rate will have little impact unless the education system as a whole is improved. That’s the view following Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s decision to establish a ministerial committee to probe the standard of the National Senior Certificate following widespread criticism of poor results and low standards. Motshekga announced in a Government Gazette, published on October 29, that she was establishing the committee “to investigate the current promotion requirements and other related matters that impact on the standard of the National Senior Certificate”. Hope Mokgatlhe, spokeswoman for Motshekga, said the committee, whose members have yet to be appointed, would begin its work next year. Motshekga had decided to establish the committee because of concerns raised by education insiders and members of the public, she said. “We’ve received a lot of criticism. The minister decided it was time to act and to look at ourselves.”

Mokgatlhe said the committee would examine how other countries conducted their final exams. “[It] will do a comparative study of countries that are at our development level, to see if we are on track.”

To pass matric, a Grade 12 pupil needs to obtain 30 percent in three subjects and 40 percent in another three, including their home language.

The terms of reference of the committee would:

* Find out the concerns surrounding the qualification.

* Study exit qualifications in countries that are of international repute.

* Evaluate maths and maths literacy and whether this was the best option for the schooling system in terms of preparing pupils for the workplace and higher education.

* Make recommendations on key concerns.

David Millar, provincial chairman of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA, said such a review was welcome and had long been called for.

“We are one of just a few countries that has a pass rate of less than 50 percent.”

But Millar, who is principal of Norman Henshilwood High in Constantia, said that increasing the pass rate would not be enough to improve the education system.

“Simply raising the bar is not going to be enough to raise people out of poverty. The system needs a complete overhaul. It is not going to improve the low quality of education that children suffer from.”

Tim Gordon, chief executive of the Governing Body Foundation, said the establishment of the committee was good news. Its impact would depend on what recommendations the committee made.

Gordon said if the matric pass rate was merely increased from 30 percent to 50 percent without other changes, the consequence would be a “hugely inflated failure rate”.

The gazette notice said stakeholder bodies and institutions would be invited to nominate representatives to sit on the committee.

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Cape Times