There was, wide spread congratulations for those Matriculants who passed. The country bore witness to an encouraging pass rate of 87.3%. Various parties and leaders, representative of the political class gave their congratulations to the successful students of the previous year, 2024. However, amid the celebrations of this cohort’s success many voices have raised concerns about the state of South Africa’s education system, calling for urgent reforms to address disparities and systemic challenges. This could require a major overhaul of the nation’s educational system and learning institutions. The cooperation of teachers, school authorities, parents, families, legal guardians, civil society groups, education department and government are needed.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) similarly extended its congratulations to the class of 2024, applauding the hard work of students, teachers, and families. However, BOSA underscored the importance of addressing systemic issues in the education sector, calling for reforms to ensure that all South African learners have the opportunity to thrive. They focused on the need for substantial interventions to fix what they deemed a “broken” system. BOSA voiced concern about the true pass rate, highlighting that the real figure of those who started in Grade 1 in 2013 and passed matric in 2024 is only 51%. “This means over 590,000 young people didn’t make it,” BOSA said, calling for significant reforms in the education system, including scrapping the 30% pass mark and increasing teacher salaries.
One of the key matters that could help would improving the way education is carried out would be decentralization of power away from the national Government. In domestic matters to the provinces. The Provincial administrations and legislatures should have more say in how national policies on the home front particularly education is implemented. Opposition parties particularly BOSA and even the Democratic Alliance (DA) others in the Government of National Unity (GNU) need to advocate for this. There needs to be an open debate and engagement between the masses and the state to devolve power in terms of central planning away from Pretoria to the provinces and the municipalities. The division of the state employed labour and oversight. If you will.
This could be a stepping stone in repairing some of the damage caused by the centralised set up of education in Pretoria. Allowing teachers to increase their salaries at the expense of politicians could also work. More employees entering the work force may be interested in considering the teachers’ positions. As regards to the release of the 2024 National Senior Certificates (NSC) exam results; the green light was given by exams quality assurer Umalusi Chairperson of the council, Professor Yunus Ballim, granted approval for the release of the results of the exams administered by the SA comprehensive Assessment Institute (Sacai), Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and the Department of Basic Education.
He said there were no reported systemic irregularities that might have compromised the overall credibility and integrity of the exams. Speaking during the media briefing in Pretoria on Monday, Umalusi CEO Dr Mafu Rakometsi said the body remained “seriously concerned that KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga are once again at the top of the list” of pupils caught copying in the exams. While the number of reported cases of copying nationally decreased from 945 in 2023 to 407 in 2024, a total of 195 candidates in KwaZulu-Natal and 74 in Mpumalanga were implicated in copying. He also said that a report from the basic education department indicated that a private school allowed 30 candidates who did not pass Grade 11 to register for the Grade 12 exams.
“This is highly irregular. Umalusi is satisfied with the action taken to withdraw the registration status of the school concerned.”
The overall pass rate in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga appears to be an improvement compared to the previous pass rates. However, the risk that exam papers’ correct answers are being learned and copied ahead, raises eyebrows. It shows students are not studying properly ahead of their exams. The fact that there is a list of provinces with a significant number of students copying exams is concerning. At a time when there needs to be more transparency and accountability in all organs of state, the education department and schools under its watch need to be a shining example of integrity and centres of scholarly work. Matric students who carry out the practice of copying answers should be disqualified. The possibility of expulsion should be considered depending on the severity of individual cases.
A complete overhaul of the current education system and programme is on its way. What form it takes will depend on who the state engages. In terms of the people. One thing is for certain delegating domestic responsibilities to the provincial governments away from Pretoria including education can help.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
