The 2010 matric results showed the country was on the right track, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.
“We are delighted with this significant improvement from the 2009 pass rate. This takes us somewhere closer to the 80% target for 2014,” he said in a statement.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced earlier in the day that 67,8% of matrics passed last year’s exams — up from 60,7% in 2009.
Zuma congratulated the matrics, education authorities and teachers for their work during a “challenging year”.
“It is an exciting day for government and for the nation,” he said.
“Education is an apex priority of government and we are determined to continue investing a lot of time, money and other resources to it.”
Zuma urged matrics who had failed not to give up.
“This doesn’t mean the end of the world. Many people have been in a similar situation that you are in today, and they emerged successful after another attempt.”
Zuma called on principals and teachers to ensure lessons got under way without delay when schools re-opened next week.
“The [education] department should also ensure the availability of learning materials timeously. We cannot afford to waste any time so that we can continue to do better each year,” he said.
Unions pleased
Meanwhile, unions were pleased with the “outstanding” pass rate.
The Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU) said on Thursday years of hard work had finally paid off and it had laid a benchmark for future candidates.
“It is encouraging to note that the 2010 pass rate is higher than in 2009 and that the percentage of candidates who have qualified for admission to university studies has increased as well. Indeed a commendable achievement,” said spokesperson Chris Klopper.
“Congratulations in particular to the candidates with special educational needs who managed to achieve a commendable pass rate of 75%.”
Klopper said 2010 had not been an easy year.
He said the Soccer World Cup had made it difficult for pupils to remain focused, but it had not cut down on teaching time.
The public-sector strike, he said, had disrupted teaching in many schools across the country and had placed strenuous demands on teachers and pupils.
The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) said it was encouraged by an increase in the number of pupils who wrote the examination.
The 2010 exam was written by 641 533 pupils, compared to the 552 000 in 2009.
To those who failed, the union suggested considering bridging courses or re-writes.
“Suicide is not an option,” said Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke.
He urged pupils and their parents to seek counselling.
The union believed that it was the additional effort put in by pupils and teachers that had prevented a decline in the pass rate.
“We are happy that not only did we have a pass rate increase but an increase in the quality as well,” said Maluleke.
“On gateway subjects, we are happy with the increased pass in physical science and mathematics compared to 2009; however we are concerned about the number of learners enrolling in these subjects.”
He said admission policies at institutions of higher learning needed to accommodate more pupils from poor communities.
Sadtu said it was encouraged by the improvement in the three mainly rural provinces — the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.
Relief
The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA president Ezrah Ramasehla said it was a relief that the examinations had gone well.
He said there had been much pessimism, given the affect of the Soccer World Cup and the public-sector strike.
“Focused interventions, particularly towards the end of the year, for learners in the further education and training phase have paid dividends,” he said.
“The results have shown what can be achieved when stakeholders work together to achieve a common goal.”
Ramasehla said the focus should not only be on the final phases of formal schooling.
Investment in the early phases was just as important.
“Every stage of learners’ education is crucial to the final outcome,” said Ramasehla.
He said many years of hard work lay ahead to improve the quality of education in the country.
“The overall pass rate is only one of several indicators that needed to be analysed when considering the matric results.”
An escape from the life of poverty
The Inkatha Freedom Party “lauded” the substantial increase in the KwaZulu-Natal matric pass rate, while warning against complacency in improving the ailing education system.
“Our congratulations go to the thousands of learners in this province who managed to beat the odds to excel, pass their matric exams and gain university admission which will offer many of them an escape from the life of poverty,” the province’s party leader Bonginkosi Buthelezi said in a statement.
The IFP, he said, was pleased that the expectations of “a plummeting matric pass rate” as a result of the Soccer World Cup and the subsequent public-servants’ strike, were not fulfilled.
“If anything, the disruptions of classes due to the soccer tournament and the strike spurred our learners towards greater discipline and determination.” – Sapa