Education minister Naledi Pandor has warned that the malaise in the Eastern Cape education system can only be addressed if the management of the provincial department is stabilized.
The provincial education department has a dismal track record and recorded its worst ever Grade 12 pass rate in 2008. Just over half of the 60297 National Senior Certificate candidates achieved a pass, while only 8662 qualified for university entrance.
Speaking at the provincial education summit held in East London, Pandor said that to remedy the situation action must be taken in the provincial leadership and through school interventions.
No MEC in the Eastern Cape has served for more than 2 years and this lack of consistent political and administrative educational oversight has had a detrimental effect on schooling in the province.
“This summit offers the Eastern Cape an opportunity to carry out an honest and frank analysis of what works and what does not,” she said.
“The 2008 NSC outcomes signaled the need for focused attention on reversing mediocrity and entrenching quality and excellence. The information provided by the NSC report on the Eastern Cape is a good basis from which to begin the development of coherent co-coordinated responses.”
The minister made it clear hat educational improvement requires a long-term commitment and warned against resorting to quick-fix solutions to please the electorate ahead of next month’s general elections.
“We have to make learning and teaching routine in schools. We look to make teaching and learning happen in our classrooms every day. It is only when we are able to build this routine that we will be able to improve the quality of education in all our schools.”