Ministers meeting, OR Tambo International Airport
12 January 2009
The Council of Education Ministers (CEM), comprising the Minister of
Education, the Deputy Minister and provincial MECs for Education, held a
special meeting, today, in Johannesburg.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the technical report of the 2008
National Senior Certificate results, provincial reports on the performance and
challenges in the 2008, provincial plans on the management of the 2008
supplementary examinations and proposed interventions to support the
implementation of the National Curriculum Statement (Grades 10 to 12).
All outstanding results released
In 2008 a total of 533 561 candidates wrote the 2008 National Senior
Certificate examination, but 56 351 candidates did not receive their results on
30 December 2008 when the others were released. It has now been determined that
a total of 33 448 of these candidates did not write the examinations, and
therefore could not expect results. In addition, the results of those involved
in irregularities such as cheating have been withheld. The Department of
Education (DoE) has now released all outstanding results, and any candidate who
has not received their results should contact their schools urgently to
determine the reasons.
The minister has directed that an independent investigation be conducted
into the reasons for the late release of some results.
Mathematics
Council was pleased to note that the targets for mathematics passes had been
exceeded by nearly 25 percent, and also that the results for mathematical
literacy surpassed the expectations of many. Schools which have contributed to
these results should be congratulated on their achievement.
However, noting the comments made by some critics regarding the standard of
the paper, the minister has requested an expert review panel to consider these
concerns.
Dinaledi schools shine
The DoE's Dinaledi-school intervention has led to improved results in the
majority of these schools. These schools comprise only seven percent of the
total, but contributed 24 percent of the 62 000 high-level mathematics passes.
The performance of Dinaledi schools will be kept under review to ensure that
the project continues to yield positive outcomes.
Another positive intervention has been the exchange and involvement of
expert teachers in areas where there have been capacity problems. One such
example is the case of Ivory Park High School, where the former Pretoria High
School for Girls principal, Mrs Alison Kitto, at the request of the department,
provided just 60 hours of teaching to the class of 50 mathematics learners, who
all showed a marked improvement. This confirms the importance and value of good
teachers in our classrooms.
Democratic Alliance (DA) allegation of DoE interference in exam
results
The meeting noted the statement by the DA regarding an alleged inflation of
marks in the Western Cape. Following up this matter, it became evident that the
DA is unable to substantiate their claim.
Teacher audit
It is recognised that teacher expertise is often clustered around the urban
nodes, and poorer rural schools do suffer from an ability to attract
well-qualified teachers.
An audit of teacher skills and qualifications will therefore be conducted to
establish their suitability for teaching particular subjects at different
levels, as well as their exposure to training and development opportunities
provide by the department. Subjects with a poor overall level of performance,
such as physical science and agricultural sciences, will be a primary focus of
this audit.
Further analysis
A deeper analysis of the results will be conducted and presented to the Council
of Education Ministers in February 2009. However, an initial analysis shows
some interesting trends, including the relationship between poverty and
performance. An analysis of the performance of schools in different quintiles
shows the following trends:
Quintile 1
Percent pass: 50 percent
Number of schools under 60 percent: 1 029
Quintile 2
Percent pass: 53 percent
Number of schools under 60 percent: 590
Quintile 3
Percent pass: 59 percent
Number of schools under 60 percent: 752
Quintile 4
Percent pass: 67 percent
Number of schools under 60 percent: 290
Quintile 5
Percent pass: 84 percent
Number of schools under 60 percent: 168
Total
Percent pass: 62,5 percent
Number of schools under 60 percent: 3 070
Supplementary examinations
The supplementary examinations will be written at the end of February, and over
140 000 learners have qualified to write these. Those who qualify are strongly
urged to register for the one or two outstanding subjects, and must do so
before 21 January 2009. Provincial Departments of Education have reported that
they will be providing support to these learners.
Issued by: Department of Education
12 January 2009
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za)
