South Africa’s Department of Basic Education is more concerned about the proportion of pupils that pass to make school leavers and their parents happy.
Disruptions to schooling at the lower grades should be remedied, otherwise there could be a serious impact on the quality of Matriculants a decade or more from now.
South Africa’s annual matric pass rate obscures important differences in provincial achievements, the rural and urban divide and the unequal outcomes for learners in poorer schools.
South Africa’s matric results and data from national benchmarking tests suggest that many school leavers aren’t ready for university. It’s also worth asking: are universities ready for them?
Director of Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University & Visiting Research Professor in Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, Rhodes University