In a bid to improve the results of the 2010 matric learners and to build on the provincial achievement whereby the 2009 matric results were improved from 57 percent to 61 percent ; the Department of Education reviewed the improvement strategy that it has implemented over the two past years and consolidated it into a 10 Point Plan.
Among these 10 key activities is the continuous supply of the supplementary materials in the form of study guides and learning channel DVDs. The department will continue in earnest in making this material available more especially during this period following the strike action.
- In June 2010 the study guides in Geography, Economics, Tourism and English creative writing (p3) were delivered to the schools. The study guides in Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Accounting, Business Studies and History were delivered to schools in 2009
- The learning channel DVD’s in Mathematics, Life Science, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Literacy, Accounting, Business Studies, English Home and Fal were delivered to majority of schools in 2009 and the remainder of the schools in July 2010. However, some districts have not released these DVD’s to schools as they were disturbed by the Industrial Action. School principals are urged to immediately contact the subject advisors through the district managers to have this implemented.
- The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has bought 150 000 copies of the matric Q & A supplement. It contains exemplar question papers and memoranda to supply to the 130 000; 2010 Matric learners. This material which is a 94-page document for learners contains two exemplar questions and memoranda in Mathematics, Mathematic Literacy, Accounting, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Geography, History, English First Additional Language and Business Studies. This material will be delivered by the managing agent approved for the delivery of LTSM to schools as from today to help learners prepare for the trial and final examination.
- To further familiarise the learners with the format of the examination question papers and help them with revision, the department will deliver to schools by 30September 2010 the previous examination question papers in all the 13 subjects done by majority of the learners.
- The examination question papers for 2009 that were leaked in Mathematics, Accounting and Physical Science were released by the districts to all the schools in July 2010.
Principals of the schools who have not received these critical question papers and the memoranda must contact the district offices – examination section.
Provincial examination crack teams
At an Examination Summit held at Umbumbulu FET College on 2and 3August 2010, provincial examination crack teams were formed. Five crack teams consisting of subject specialists were formed and deployed to all the districts. The purpose of the crack teams is to ascertain the state of readiness of the underperforming schools. This is done by checking the content coverage in each subject and confirms that through learners written work and learners assessment tasks and monitors the usage of critical resources supplied to the schools.
The crack teams were deployed to schools as from the 16 August 2010. However due to the industrial strike action, the focus of the Crack Teams was changed into that of giving support to the grade 12 learners. During this period the Crack Teams visited about 400 schools supporting the grade 12 learners in clusters and individual schools. The set pieces which are the list of topics that have over the past 5 years constituted 80 percent of the examination in the 13 large subjects were provided to the learners during these visits.
With the suspension of the strike, the crack teams will resume their programme of action.
Partnership with SABC radio
The department has formed a partnership with SABC radio to broadcast revision lessons on all the subjects. These lessons will be broadcast through Radio Ukhozi and Radio Lotus until the grade 12 examinations comes to an end in November 2010.
