SADTU,+COSAS+statements+on+2006+matric+results,+way+forward

SOUTH AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS UNION (SADTU) Press Release: Matric Results 2006

 * //__Embargoed until 14h00, Thursday 29 December 2006__//**

=SADTU welcomes increase in numbers writing matric - calls for renewed effort to deliver quality education=

SADTU welcomes the prompt release of the 2006 matric results, and the fact that systems are now embedded both to prevent irregularities and to benchmark standards. The union congratulates successful candidates, their families, the teachers and the examiners. Those who did not make it this time should not give up, and we expect the Department of Education to support their efforts to re-write.

Access
//__We are greatly encouraged by the increased numbers writing and passing matric: an additional 20,000 candidates over 2005 and an additional 4,000 matriculants.__// Even though this may result in a slight decrease in the percentage pass rate, it is important to get the message accross – to learners, teachers, parents and school managers that the priority must be to increase the numbers in the system who reach and pass matric.

//__We believe that to maintain the momentum for increased access, we have to understand and address the factors which lead to drop out and failure. Our sense is that issues of historical disadvantage and poverty associated with race, gender, class and the rural-urban divide, and uneven support and poor management especially in some districts and provinces are crucial here__// and we would expect the Department of Education to deepen its analysis in this respect. We need more information in the following areas:


 * A large percentage of learners never reach matric. Exactly how many are there and what are the demographics of this group? What happens to them – do they simply join the ranks of the unemployed? – and how do we turn this situation around?

o For those students – from poor communities who pass and achieve exemptions – much more needs to be done to assist access to tertiary institutions. We need to investigate the feasibility of a central admissions agency to make the process of applying more affordable, to assist in finding places and to help direct student funding to where it is needed most.
 * For those who write and fail – approximately a third – what provision is there to support them in re-writing? The current policy allows for an additional year for repeaters – is this working in practice? The ABET centres are insufficient and not designed for this purpose.

Quality
The small decline in the pass rate – for the second year – has to be cause for concern. Educational progress cannot be allowed to stall. SADTU wishes to raise the following points:


 * According to quality assurance body, Umaluzi, the quality of matric exams has improved with more cognitively demanding papers being set. It would appear however that the education system was not fully geared up to support learners in preparing for more difficult exams.


 * Results were uneven across the provinces – with improvements in four provinces (Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West) and varying levels of deterioration in the rest. We need to understand better why these differences occur.


 * Limpopo stands out with a decline of over 9% in the pass rate. This needs to be investigated. Factors would appear to include a sharp adjustment in vernacular language marks, the lack of personnel – especially subject advisers, and a high proportion of students aiming for exemption and failing - rather than aiming for a standard grade pass. The latter points to a lack of career guidance and counseling.

o Inadequate budgets to provinces, the legacy of GEAR o Underspending by some provinces o Insufficient share of provincial budgets going to education o Present mechanisms – particularly the post provisioning model – are unable to get resources to where they are needed. This results in over-large class sizes and failure to make permanent appointments. SADTU will be taking up the issue of post provisioning and temporary teachers as a priority campaign in the new year. o National education priorities are supported unevenly across provinces; eg. the Dinaledi project to double maths and science passes in 400 selected schools by 2008 has been undermined by lack of provincial support. This must raise questions about the present arrangement of concurrent powers between national and provincial levels. At the very least it would be necessary to ring-fence spending on national education priorities. This constitutes a major challenge to the ANC in government and goes beyond the purview of the education department.
 * It appears that the increase in matric candidates over the last five years – from 443,826 to 528,525 has not been matched by a corresponding increase in resources – particularly in some of the large poor rural provinces. The problems include:


 * The numbers attaining university endorsement has slightly dropped. This together with the slight drop in passes in maths and accounting represents a brake on the country’s skills development strategy.


 * The statistics on poorly performing schools (ie. with lower than 20% pass rate) call for attention. As a result of the Department’s learner attainment strategy 99 out of 114 poorly performing schools in 2005 improved in 2006. It would appear that support and monitoring had a positive effect on performance. Unfortunately, some 139 schools in 2006 produced a pass rate below 20%. It appears that the strategy needs to be extended beyond poorly performing schools to include identification of schools at risk of falling into this category.

As SADTU we would suggest a number of strategic challenges and priorities for 2007:


 * We need to address the systemic problems – the lack of resources in the poorest schools and the uneven performance between provinces.


 * We need a qualitative leap forward in terms of pass rates. We need more information and workable strategies to improve the quality of education on the ground. But we also need the stakeholders – teachers, learners, parents and the department - to come together and commit themselves to improving the quality of education. This process needs to start now with clear time frames and a focus on the 2008 matrics, who will be the first to complete the new FET curriculum.

CONTACTS:

Don Pasquallie, Deputy General Secretary 079 492 4081 Tshedi Dipholo, Vice-President (Education) 072 033 5610 Jon Lewis, Media Officer 082 567 5628 Mafika Cele, FET Specialist 082 453 0052**
 * Thulas Nxesi, General Secretary 082 782 6877




 * CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN STUDENTS (COSAS)**
 * PRESS STATEMENT**
 * 28.12.2006**


 * RESPONSE TO 2006 MATRIC EXAM RESULTS**


 * COSAS commends the Department of Education for the timely release of matric results in 2006


 * COSAS congratulates successful 2006 matriculants and encourages those who did not succeed not to lose hope. COSAS will provide practical support to them through the rewriting process.


 * We note the rise in numbers of students who wrote matric from 2004 to 2006 and welcome the increase in the momentum of access.


 * We also note that the system faces challenges, amongst other things:

o The number of students attaining matric exemption have dropped; o Non-existence of a clear programme to support those who failed. Most schools do not offer a second chance to rewrite the exams o There is insufficient monitoring and support of students in the lower grades before grade 12; o Lack of infrastructure especially amongst township and rural schools attended by children from working class and poor backgrounds; o Schools are no longer safer for learners partly due to lack of security fences and guards; o Need to increase bursaries available for students at tertiary level.


 * COSAS School Reopening Programme for 2007**

– which will ensure that unsuccessful matric candidates are given a second chance to rewrite the matric; – An end to child labour in rural areas – children must be allowed to attend school and not be used as cheap labour on farms – Extension of school feeding scheme up to grade 12.
 * //Back to school campaign//


 * //Free education campaign// – we are calling for a boycott of school fees. There must be free and equal quality public education for all. There must be adequate funding to provide a quality education for every learner. This includes full funding of all services – eg water and sanitation, electricity, phones, scholar transport etc.


 * //Campaign to build safe schools// – reduction of drug abuse through awareness programmes; demanding funding for security measures – fencing, guards etc. COSAS sends condolences to families who have lost loved ones due to unsafe schools.


 * CONTACT:** Kenny Motshegoa, COSAS President 076 634 6211

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