South Africa’s ‘real’ matric pass rate is under dispute
The Democratic Alliance says South Africa’s ‘real’ matric pass rate is nowhere near as high as claimed by the Department of Basic Education.
The day all 2023 matriculants were waiting for has come and gone, but there’s still some consternation over what South Africa’s ‘real’ matric pass rate is. In one corner you have the Department of Basic Education (DBE) applauding a matric pass rate of 82.9%.
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While, in the other corner, you have critics from the DA saying South Africa’s ‘real’ matric pass rate is far lower. The rationale being, you need to take into account all the students who have dropped out over the years and who didn’t even make it to matric, reports Business Tech.
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SOUTH AFRICA’S ‘REAL’ MATRIC PASS RATE
If you do that, says the DA, South Africa’s ‘real’ matric pass rate is closer 55%. However, doom and gloom aside, the official matric class of 2023 – 82.9% – did manage to improve upon the previous year’s pass rate.
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The Minister for Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, said 897 775 matriculants registered for examination in 2023. This number is significantly lower than the 1.2-million learners who wrote matric 2012. The DA is at pains to point out that nearly half a million children simply never made it to matric. In other terms, 55% of the learners who started school back in 2012.
LACK OF SUCCESS
“The matric pass rate is indicator of not only the Basic Education Department’s lack of success but also of the country’s. The ANC government’s only focus seems to be quantity over quality, thinking that it is an improvement from previous years. There needs to be a focus on the quality of skills gained, so learners have a shot of being employable and bettering their circumstances after school,” said DA’s Baxolile Nodada.
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