2nd chance for 2007 failures
2007-12-24 08:19
Johannesburg - A national plan is in place to give thousands of matriculants who are not expected to pass this year a second chance.
Education departments confirmed on Sunday that the plan was being finalised at provincial level.
The plan involves millions of rands being earmarked to give failed pupils extra tuition from February to May next year, so that they can be re-examined in June 2008.
In terms of the plan, pupils will be able to register at circuit or district offices in the provinces.
On the 16 Saturdays (from February to May 2008) they will get a minimum two hours' extra tuition at central points or schools identified by the province.
Some provinces also are considering additional tuition after school hours, and during holidays when schools are available.
The main reason for the intervention is that matriculants who fail this year won't be able to return to school next year because the outcomes-based curriculum then also will apply to Grade 12s.
Teachers' strike blamed
Next year's matriculants will be the first to write the new senior certificate exams.
There's been some scepticism in educational circles about matriculants improving on last year's 66% national pass rate.
Some of the reasons given for this were the drawn-out teachers' strike and the shortage of teachers at a number of schools.
A total 563 191 candidates wrote matric this year.
If the failure rate is about 34% again, it means about 190 000 matrics won't make the grade.
Last year, 176 447 matriculants failed countrywide.
The failure rate was highest in Limpopo where 46 721 candidates didn't make it.
This was followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 42 978, the Eastern Cape with 28 292 failures, Gauteng with 15 861, Mpumalanga with 13 554, North West with 12 502, the Free State with 8 298 and the Western Cape with 6 508 failed matriculants.
Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng educational spokesperson, said the department would do everything possible to help failed candidates.
He could not confirm reports that the province had set aside R3m for the educational support project.
It's estimated about 20 000 matriculants in Gauteng won't make it.
Ndo Mangala, spokesperson for Limpopo, said a strategy had been developed to help faiIed Grade 12s.
"It's still subject to final approval by the head of education. It will undoubtedly have financial implications, but I can't say exactly how much."
North West spokesperson Charles Rasaela said the province had set aside R10m to give the failed candidates a second chance.
'Complete your journey'
Fourteen centres had been identified for pupils to be given extra tuition in subjects that they had failed.
Rasaela couldn't say how many pupils were not expected to make the grade, but he thought it would be fewer than last year, because the province had handed over a number of its schools to the education departments of Gauteng and the Northern Cape.
The wheels are also in motion in Mpumalanga to support failed candidates. The project there is known as Qebibanga, which means "complete your journey".