Half of E-Cape matrics fails

2008-12-30 15:34

Cape Town - Barely half of the pupils who wrote the matric exam in the Eastern Cape passed, according to provincial education MEC Mahlubandile Qwase.

He said in a statement on Tuesday that of the 60 297 learners who wrote the exams, 30 494 or 50.6% passed.

Last year the Eastern Cape recorded a 57.1% pass rate, which then made it the worst-performing province in the country.

Qwase said that even though the overall performance was "still a challenge", it was important to note a few "statistical highlights".

Of those who passed, 8 662 had met the requirements for admission to study for a bachelor's degree.

This figure constituted 14.3% of the total number of this year's pupils, a marked improvement from last year's 9.3%.

There was a 71% pass rate for mathematical literacy, the former standard grade maths.

"Whilst our overall performance in maths and science requires improvement, these two areas' qualitative standard has significantly improved, as maths produced 768 distinctions and physical science came in with 141," Qwase said.

Accounting delivered a 56.3% pass rate, with 242 distinctions.

He said the best-performing education districts were Graaff Reinet, with a 70.1% pass rate, Port Elizabeth with 68.6%, and Grahamstown with 66.6%.

"At this point it is crucial that we note the historical structural weaknesses that still prevail in our system that is invariably to the detriment of our learners from formerly disadvantaged schools," he said.

There had been particularly poor performance in the province and nationally in the agricultural science exam.

"It was conceived and provided to learners to have a meaningful impact on the quality and quantity of agricultural practices in our country.

"It has not managed to achieve this... Considerable attention needs to be paid to this subject in the year ahead."

- SAPA