More matrics get exemptions

2010-01-07 17:09

Johannesburg - More matrics qualified for higher education in 2009 than in 2008, which Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga described on Thursday as one of the "positive gains" in the matric results.

Matrics with exemptions increased from 18% to 38%.

This was a total of 109 697 pupils out of 551 940 who sat for exams. In 2008, the number stood at 107 462.

"This means that there is a greater number of learners who will be eligible to access higher education," said Motshekga in Pretoria after announcing the 2009 matric results.

A 2009 National Senior Certificate report showed a decrease in the number of pupils who qualified for higher certificate admission. Only 93 356 qualified compared to 102 130 in 2008.

However, those who qualify for national diplomas increased to 131 035 from 124 395 in 2008.

Motshekga blamed poor teaching and management in schools for the disappointing national pass rate of 60.7%, down from 62.5% in 2008 and 65.2% in 2007.

Science needs urgent attention

She said poor teaching was widespread, and singled out science as a subject needing urgent attention.

In the Western Cape, only 52.9% of matrics passed the science paper compared to 71.2% in 2008.

However, Motshekga described as a "positive feature", the fact that more pupils were registered for mathematics.

Despite an overall decline in the pass rate, some 417 schools achieved a 100% pass rate across the country.

Twenty-three fall into quintile one schools - under-resourced schools classified in the lowest poverty ranking.

KwaZulu-Natal improved its pass rate by 3.5%, from 57.6% in 2008 to 61.1% in 2009, while the Eastern Cape stabilised at 50%.

Poverty-stricken provinces commended

Motshekga commended the results of these two rural provinces characterised by high rates of poverty.

"They have managed to buck the downward trend of the past years and... turn around," she said.

Mpumalanga, which also published its results on Thursday after doubt that it would be able to, had the poorest performance with a pass rate of 45.9%, a decline of 3.9%.

In Gauteng the pass rate fell from 76.4% in 2008 to 71.8%, a sharp decline which education MEC Barbara Creecy described as "sobering". She urged teachers and pupils to do better this year.

The Western Cape also failed to halt a downward slide that has taken it from 85% in 2004 to 75.7% in 2009.

The pass rate in the Free State declined to 69.4% from 71.8% in 2008, while the North West went down from 68% to 67.5%. Limpopo also saw a decline from 54.3% to 48.9%.

Northern Cape had a significant drop of 11% with 61.3%, compared to 72.7% in 2008.

Try again

Motshekga said the education system continued to be plagued by "obvious weaknesses" that act as barriers to pupils' performance.

"We must intensify our efforts to address these weaknesses," she said.

She congratulated matriculants who performed well and passed and urged those who failed to make use of a second chance and try again.

"Try again…There is always a second chance. Make use of those chances. We do not always succeed the first time around."

Supplementary examinations would take place in March.
 

- SAPA