SACP+Statement+on+2005+Matric+Results



=**SACP Statement on 2005 Matric Results**=

The SACP wishes to congratulate all those who passed their Matric Exams in 2005. We should however congratulate the whole class of 2005 for the efforts they have put into their schooling and examinations.

The SACP also takes this opportunity to wish all those who are proceeding into institutions of Higher Education successful studies. We would also like to encourage those who have not passed not to loose hope but to explore all possible opportunities for further education and training.

The SACP welcomes some of the improvements in some areas of our Matric exam system. In particular we are encouraged by the increase in the number of candidates who have registered for Matric exams this year, as well as the increase in the number of candidates writing maths and science. This shows that we are on the right course.

We also wish to congratulate the national and provincial Departments of Education, umalusi, the educators, parents and learners for their efforts in ensuring relatively smooth Matric examinations.

We are however concerned about the two percent drop in the pass rate. The SACP is of the view that we have now perhaps stabilised around a pass rate of around 70 percent, and seemingly we can now only make improvements once we focus more attention on our primary schooling system. Research consistently shows that levels of numeracy and literacy at primary school level are very low, especially in the rural areas. Unless government intensifies its efforts in this regard, we are unlikely to see any significant higher pass rates in Matric in the coming years.

The SACP is also worried about the lack of adequate opportunities for further education and training for those candidates who do not get Matric exemptions, especially in the context of high unemployment in our country and low levels of job creation. The key challenge here is to rapidly expand the FET factor such that it is able to absorb more students. In particular we need to also significantly expand opportunities to train artisans, both in the public and private sectors.

We therefore call upon both the Departments of Education and Labour to speed up the review of the national qualifications framework, which is long overdue, and for these departments to actively co-operate in working towards a framework to increase absorption of school leavers. Our country needs more school exit routes in order to increase education and training opportunities for school leavers.

Blade Nzimande General Secretary** For further inquiries please contact: Kaizer Mohau Media Liaison Officer South African Communist Party (SACP) Tel: 011 339 3621 Fax: 011 339 4244 Mobile: 076 573 7764 Email: kaizer@sacp.org.za Web portal: www.sacp.org.za
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