Matric: 'More needs to be done'

2010-01-07 12:11

Pretoria - The 2009 matric results show more needs to be done to improve the support given to schools, said Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Thursday after announcing a two percentage point decline in the overall pass rate.

Acknowledging that there was poor teaching in many schools, Motshekga said there was a need to give more help, especially in science.

“Management in our schools is often weak and lacks leadership and commitment. Our systems are also often inefficient,” a visibly disappointed Motshekga told a room packed with journalists and education and union officials in Pretoria.

“In 2010 we shall strengthen our interventions to ensure that the class of 2010 shows a significant improvement.”

Support for schools

Motshekga said officials in the provincial education departments must support schools in ensuring that textbooks and other teaching materials were provided on time.

“They must ensure that real teaching and learning are taking place in all our schools from the beginning of the school year.”

The 2009 pass rate for the National Senior Certificate stood at 60.7%, compared to 62.5% in 2008.

Motshekga said although the drop of 1.8% was marginal, it was very disappointing.

“Saying we are unhappy is too mild. We’ve had sleepless nights and agonised.

"The National Senior Certificate is an important indicator of the quality of our education system, and as a country, we cannot afford to allow our young people to achieve results that are in the main average or below average,” she said.

- SAPA