By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube says there were no plans to change the 30% pass mark and to replace it with a minimum pass mark of 50%.
Gwarube was responding to a written parliamentary question posed by Build One South Africa (Bosa), Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster.
The current matric pass rate is 30%, with conditions.
No candidate can obtain a National Senior Certificate if they pass all seven subjects with 30%, according to the department. The pupils must pass at least three subjects at 40%.
Gwarube indicated her intention is “to appoint an advisory council to inform the necessary reforms in the sector.”
In addition to raising the minimum pass mark to 50%, reform must include an independent education ombudsman, raising salaries for educators, curtailing union power, incentivizing students during the academic year, prioritizing the primary phase of education, introducing a school voucher programme, and conducting a nationwide teacher skills audit, she said.
Gwarube added that the department should not only focus on the matric pass rate but also on earlier grades, like grade 4, where 81% of the pupils cannot read for meaning, according to the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).
They want to know how we will reconcile that reality with setting targets to increase the National Senior Certificate pass rate or improve the percentage of bachelor passes, “she said.
“While there has been some improvements, our literacy and numeracy rates remain unacceptably low. My team and I will obsess about getting learners at all levels to be able to read for meaning.”
Meanwhile Gwarube, has assured the National Assembly that her department has put all necessary measures in place to ensure that exams for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) proceed without any interruption.
She told Members of Parliament that except for the 400-plus learners in Gqeberha, who could not write their Computer Science exam because of a heavy storm that damaged bridges and powerlines, there were no other reported disruptions on Monday, the first day of the exams.
“The affected learners will be catered for in a way that does not disadvantage them. Members must note that with every paper that is set, several other papers are also set and approved by Umalusi [Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training] for this type of circumstances. The learners will not be disadvantaged regardless of what solutions the province finds. It is all systems go for the rest of the exams,” the Minister assured the National Assembly.
The Minister said the integrity of the exams remains a top priority and, to minimise any misconduct, the department has deployed monitors to oversee high-risk exam centres. The department has also strengthened security protocols to safeguard against potential misconduct or malpractice on the part of learners or teachers, and officials have also been trained to identify and report irregularities. The department is also collaborating with law enforcement agencies to secure exam centres, especially in areas identified as high risk.