Statement by Minister Donald Grant, Minister of Education, Western Cape
The 2010 National Senior Certificate results indicate improved performance in the Western Cape, with all key indicators showing a positive trend.
More candidates wrote, passed and achieved higher results than ever, and we also saw a decline in the number of underperforming schools.
In 2010, the number of underperforming schools (high schools with a lower than 60% pass rate) decreased from 85 to 78, reversing a six year trend of increasing numbers of such schools.
These improved results were a product of targeted and sustained interventions at our schools, specifically those that had underperformed the previous year.
Successful interventions included target setting for schools, the provision of extra textbooks and resources, subject specific support and additional tuition in subjects with high enrolments and low pass rates.
Although these interventions proved invaluable in 2010, the challenge for 2011 is to create an approach that builds on, sustains and fine-tunes the strategies we already have in place so that they add even greater value for our educators and learners, as well as, help to achieve even better results at the end of this year.
At the forefront of this plan is a focus on our underperforming schools and an increase in the number of additional passes.
Our strategy includes the following:
1. | Setting targets for improvement Our point of departure is to set new targets for the year ahead. We have repeatedly indicated that we are determined to ensure as many learners as possible have the opportunity to pass the NSC, and in so doing, substantially improve their life chances. This strategy lies at the heart of the Western Cape government’s vision of an open opportunity society for all. Therefore, our targets in this province include both the number of additional passes at each school, as well as, the traditional percentage pass rate. Provincially, we hope to achieve a stretch target of 36 000 passes in 2011, which is 861 more passes than were achieved last year. This stretch target is more of a challenge then one might first assume. This year we are faced with a statistical anomaly in that the Class of 2011 is significantly smaller than in previous years. As a result of the standardisation of age of admission from January 2000, in terms of national policy, the Grade 1 intake in the year 2000 dropped by approximately 20 000 learners. This smaller cohort progressed annually through the system and is now in Grade 12. As a result, this year’s cohort is significantly smaller than last year’s was. In 2010, 47 055 learners enrolled for the NSC, compared to 41 728 learners this year. Despite this challenge, we are still determined to ensure that as many of our learners as possible pass the examinations. Unlike other provinces who encourage learners that have failed the previous year to enter as part-time candidates, the WCED has done the opposite, by encouraging a range of learners that wrote last year to re-enter the system as full-time candidates, specifically those that failed by just 1-3%. To obtain our 861 additional passes, we are also focusing on areas such as Khayelitsha, which has traditionally low pass rates. In 2010 we targeted interventions in Khayelitsha and ultimately 276 more passes were achieved than in the previous year. We hope to build on this momentum and have set a target of an extra 300 passes this year in Khayelitsha and in other areas such as Mfuleni. |
2. | Learner and subject-specific support The WCED has analysed all of our interventions from last year, with a view to improving and enhancing them for the Grade 12 learners of 2011. Many of these programmes are also being expanded to include Grade 10 and 11 learners, with a view to prepare them for their final year.
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3. | Educator and school support The main focus of these interventions will be on our underperforming schools.
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4. | Improving the management of schools Although we are pleased that the number of underperforming schools has decreased over the last year, we are still dissatisfied that the remaining 78 schools are failing to meet the needs of the learners in their care. We are especially concerned with the schools that, despite significant resources and support being poured into the school, continue to underperform year on year. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the principals to manage their school and to ensure that their educators are giving their learners the quality of education they deserve. Therefore, as indicated to principals last year, the WCED is taking strong action against these “serial underperforming schools” by holding their principals to account for their performance in the context of the law. Thirteen of the schools that achieved below 60% have new principals or are in the process of receiving new principals. The remaining underperforming schools are being monitored on a weekly basis. All underperforming schools will, in the coming weeks, receive letters in terms of the South African Schools Act and the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act, which will require them by law to formally set out the steps they will undertake to improve performance. We will further strengthen accountability throughout the system later this year when we begin to phase in performance contracts for principals and deputy principals. It must also be acknowledged that the Western Cape has arguably some of the finest principals in the country, and we remain deeply indebted to the overwhelming majority of principals who deliver consistently excellent results, sometimes in difficult circumstances. Therefore, while we continue to take action against those who underperform, despite assistance, we will also do everything possible to help and assist all principals throughout the province. |
Conclusion
In all the interventions I have stated above our primary focus is on the learner.
Their best interests feed this plan and I encourage teachers, principals and parents to embrace it by helping us achieve the targets we have set.
We are confident that the increase we achieved last year is sustainable and is reflective of an overall improvement in the state of education in the Western Cape.
Therefore, we encourage all to build on this momentum by backing and supporting the Class of 2011.
For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey: 072 724 1422 or brcasey@pgwc.gov.za.
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