Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane, says with the high youth unemployment crisis, the continued matric pass requirement of just 30% cannot continue any longer.
“A 30% mark undermines the intellect of SA’s youth and allows for obfuscation of the basic education crisis, education leaders to escape accountabilities and the entrenchment of mediocrity and low expectations,” said Maimane.
“The pass mark is the pass mark. Measuring it at an extremely low number does not help the students. In fact, it helps bad teachers and bad administrators,” he added.
The class of 2022 will receive their results when basic education minister Angie Motshekga officially announces the matric pass rate on January 19. Students will be able to access their results from January 20.
As many wait for their results anxiously, Maimane called for the matric pass rate to be changed to 50% in six subjects.
“A matric certificate should be issued on the basis of passing six subjects with 50% or more. 50% is the real pass mark. Anything else is a deception of South Africans,” he argued.
According to the education quality assurance council Umalusi, a basic matric pass with no access to higher education programmes requires a pupil achieving at least 40% in three subjects, including their home language, and to pass three other subjects with a minimum of 30%.
A year ago, over 2000 people signed Maimane’s online petition to end the 30% matric pass mark.
“There also has to be evidence that the school Based Assessment (SBA) (including Life Orientation) has been passed. If one wrote to convert this to an average, the learner would have to achieve a score of 210 out of a possible 600 (or 35%) through provision for one failed subject could pull that aggregate down while still resulting in pass.”
Maimane said the current pass mark is not right and called for interventions for those who do not reach the 50% plus in six subjects’ requirement.
Source: Business Tech, The Citizen, Times Live, image from Twitter: @FaizelPatel143
