The KwaZulu-Natal education department is distressed by the decline in its matric pass rate, adding socio-economic issues have been one of the major setbacks to learning.
The province scored a 68.1% pass rate — down from 70.7% in 2010.
The department’s head Nkosinathi Shishi said there was a major concern around the decline in the mathematics pass rate.
“There are difficult decisions we have taken as a country, one of them is that every student has to take mathematics or mathematics literacy as a subject.”
The problem was that KwaZulu-Natal was predominantly a poor province, he added.
“Nine of the 20 districts considered to be poor in the country are in the province … Socio-economic issues still determine the performances of learners. Learners have to walk long distances and learn in adverse conditions.”
Shishi said the government needed to ensure the success rate at schools was not determined by the wealth of pupils’ parents.
He attributed the decrease in the pass rate to children failing to get a 40% pass for Zulu and English first language.
“Those students who failed subjects, but qualified for supplementary exams will be given the opportunity to write the exams. The timetable is already up on our website.”
The department said it would launch a programme of action to improve the quality of education in the province. — Sapa
Provincial results:
Eastern Cape: 58.1% (2011) 58.3% (2010) — decline of 0.2%
Limpopo: 63.9%(2011) 57.9% (2010) — improvement of 6.0%
Mpumalanga: 64.8% (2011) 56.8% (2010) — largest improvement by a province of 8%
KwaZulu-Natal: 68.1% (2011) 70.7% (2010) — decline of 2.6%
Northern Cape: 68.8% (2011) 72.3% (2010) — decline of 3.5%
Free State: 75.7% (2011) 70.7% (2010) — improvement of 5.0%
North West: 77.8% (2011) 75.7% (2010) — improvement of 2.1%
Gauteng: 81.1% (2011) 78.6% (2010) — improvement of 2.5%
Western Cape: 82.9% (2011) 76.8% (2010) — improvement of 6.1%