SA’s Education System Is Failing Our Boys: The Story Behind The Stats

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Many South African boys are labelled ‘poor reader’, ‘underperformer’ or ‘slow learner’ without understanding of their wider context and, worse still, without targeted support to address their challenges.

The anxiously awaited matric results are out, and once again the dropout rates among boys and young men are in the spotlight. The Department of Basic Education estimates that 40% of pupils drop out of school, most of them boys. Boys are also more likely to repeat grades.

These stats are well known, but they raise questions: What conditions underlie them, and, more importantly, what plans and strategies are in place to support our boys?

Shafika Isaacs’s critical research study (2019) offers a glimpse into this issue. Using a “thick description” approach, Isaacs looks beyond the “underperforming boy” and observes the lived realities of her subject matter, Kabelo, a nine-year-old boy from Soweto. Kabelo was struggling with reading in both English and Sesotho, but he was far more than a struggling reader.

With Soweto as his vast playground, Kabelo demonstrated remarkable capabilities: navigational knowledge, political awareness, family religious affiliation and cultural practices. Yet, these strengths were undervalued, misrecognised and overshadowed by his academic challenges.

Isaacs’s observations of Kabelo over 18 months highlight the importance of acknowledging and recognising the whole person: the boy beneath the literacy scores. Like Kabelo, many boys across South Africa are branded with the deficits of “poor reader”, “underperformer” or “slow learner”. These labels are often applied without understanding of their wider context and, worse still, without targeted support to address their challenges.

The broader challenges

South African research shows that schools punish rather than correct disruptive behavioural issues such as bullying and school-based violence with corporal punishment, suspensions and expulsions which disproportionately affect boys. These absences and exclusions exacerbate learning loss and deepen disengagement from school.

Compounding the problem is the lack of male role models in the education system. According to the Africa Check Report (2018) more than 70% of teachers are female, leaving a significant gap in mentorship and guidance for the boy-child. Boys are often disciplined more harshly, which can fuel aggression and disengagement, eventually pushing them to drop out entirely.

What can be done?

The Zero Drop Out Campaign has called for targeted interventions for boys, cautioning against perpetuating gender stereotypes while advocating for effective dropout prevention strategies. But what does this look like in practice?

First, schools must recognise and value the diverse capabilities boys bring, much like Kabelo’s navigational and cultural knowledge. Play and experiential learning should be integrated into curriculums to engage boys in ways that resonate with their strengths.

Second, addressing the disciplinary bias against boys in curriculums. Corporal punishment and harsh disciplinary measures must be replaced with restorative practices that focus on pupil agency and encouraging pro-social behaviour rather than punishment and ultimately exclusion.

Third, Mzoli Mncanca and colleagues (University of Johannesburg) have shown that efforts to recruit and retain more male teachers are essential. Boys need role models who can guide them through the challenges of adolescence and inspire them to stay in school.

Finally, communities and families have a role to play. Mentorship programmes, after-school activities and safe spaces for boys to express themselves can help bridge the gap left by schools. The Human Sciences Research Council has demonstrated that, in South Africa and globally, mentorship programmes and after-school activities can help bridge the gap left by schools (HSRC, 2021), while the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation has shown that safe spaces for emotional expression can do the same – reducing dropout rates by up to 30%. Additionally, the Zero Dropout Campaign has shown that psychosocial support is important and that it has a positive impact for most boys and girls who have directly participated.

A call to action

The statistics are alarming, but they are not inevitable. If we continue to judge boys only by conventional assessments and continue to fail to integrate their broader capabilities, how many more Kabelos will we lose before the system changes?

It is time to rethink how we better educate and support our boys. By recognising their strengths, addressing the systemic barriers they face and providing targeted interventions, we can create a system that works for everyone, not just girls.

 

Jenean Pretorius is the Zenex LEAD Fellow at Kelello Collectives and a PhD candidate in inclusive education at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is a MERL Specialist and a board member at the South African Monitoring and Evaluations Association.

Northern Cape’s education crisis demands urgent action to fix disheartening matric results

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While our education outcomes are improving slowly across the country, we have a serious problem in the Northern Cape. It is screaming for help and desperately needs our attention.

In January this year we decided to just listen to the media cacophony about matric results and not contribute to it. We are tired of trying to explain that:

  • The matric “pass rate” is meaningless, and must be accompanied by a basket of quality indicators (which the Department of Basic Education, DBE, reports on annually).
  • The throughput rates estimate the proportion of Grade 2s who make it to Grade 12, and that this is NOT “the real pass rate”.
  • Matrics and their teachers work hard for their achievements and crying that a 30% matric pass is meaningless is both discouraging and false.

Matric is passed at four different levels of difficulty:

  1. A pass.
  2. A pass with admission to a higher certificate programme.
  3. A pass with admission to a diploma programme.
  4. A pass with admission to bachelor’s degree programme.

Matric gets you into the queue for further study or the world of work. Matric results — far above 30% — are required for both routes.

The Department of Basic Education recognises these myths. It dutifully conducts its awards ceremonies. It publishes its basket of indicators trying hard to shift the national discourse. The recurrent media mantra —  every January — has little substance and appears largely to be political grandstanding. So we kept our distance from it.

But we remain committed scholars who are interested in sharing the details of how our National Senior Certificate (NSC) Class of 2024 fared. We therefore publish a report card for each province. These report on the basket of indicators that the Department of Basic Education tracks:

  • NSC pass rate (at all levels of pass).
  • NSC pass rate at the most difficult level (admission to a bachelor’s degree programme).
  • Pass rates for gateway subjects: Accounting, mathematics; physical science, technical mathematics.
  • Participation in mathematics: The proportion of matriculants taking maths, and not taking maths literacy or technical maths.
  • The estimate of Grade 2s in 2013 who made it to Grade 12 in 2024, which is tricky given TVET colleges and provincial migration.

There are some additional indicators of quality of learning:

  • Proportion of students obtaining 50% or more in maths (of those taking maths).
  • Proportion of students obtaining 50% in Physical Science (of those taking Physical Science).
  • Proportions of distinctions: Across marks for all subjects, the proportion of distinctions (marks at 80% or more).

We add in one indicator for equity and redress:

  • The proportion of NSC passes (at admission to bachelor’s degree level) which come from no-fee schools.

With roughly 60% of our schools being no fee (and receiving the greatest per learner subsidy from the state), this is an indicator of equity and redress. Over time, we would want a higher proportion of quality passes (that give access to a degree), to be coming from these schools, rather than from fee-paying schools.

What are our highlights?

  • Gender disparities remain a problem (more on these some other time). We are losing more young men from schools, and they generally perform poorly compared to young women.
  • Our education outcomes are improving, albeit slowly (more on these some other time).
  • We have a serious problem in the Northern Cape. It is screaming for help and desperately needs our attention.

In every metric within the basket of indicators, Northern Cape is stone last or second last. What is going wrong? The pass rate at admission to bachelor’s level is a paltry 39%. The participation rate in mathematics is 19%. Nineteen percent! And of those who take mathematics, only 26% pass at 50% or above. For physical science things are worse, with only 22% of those taking it passing at 50% or above.

Northern Cape — is this a scream for help? What is going wrong in Northern Cape schools? Sure, there are vast distances. Sure, there are one-horse towns, but with the investments in renewable energy and mining in this province, surely we can convene an education crisis committee?

Can we have a properly constituted education trust, comprising the businesses and community organisations and labour unions in the Northern Cape? What is going wrong here, Sol Plaatjie University, National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) in the Northern Cape, SA Democratic Teachers Union Northern Cape, National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa Northern Cape, NGOs in the Northern Cape? Centralise some of the corporate social investment spending and get the Northern Cape back on its feet. This is seriously dire, people.

When contemplating educational performance using the basket of indicators of North West, it is hard not to feel a twinge of sympathy for landing second-to-last in the provincial rankings. With an overall weak performance and an average score across various indicators falling below the national average, it seems like North West might have taken “Why try harder?” as a motivational slogan.

 

While an impressive overall pass rate of 88% may suggest a province celebrating academic success, the reality is tempered by lingering challenges in learner preparedness and engagement.

Among a formidable 40,575 candidates, a rather modest 46.5% of female candidates passed while their male counterparts fared slightly worse at 43.2%. It is almost as if there is a competition for who can underperform more spectacularly, which is a talent in its own right.

Now let’s address the elephant in the classroom: the stark contrast between the 26% in mathematics participation and the 57% throughput raises our eyebrows because it seems like North West is taking a leisurely stroll away from mathematics as if it is a subject best left unmentioned.

Furthermore, North West shows an above average 72% of National Senior Certificate passes coming from no-fee paying schools, highlighting the potential that exists in supporting schools catering for children of poor and working class South Africans.

Yet, one cannot help but wonder if these schools are handing out certificates at diploma or higher certificate level along with free meals; perhaps that’s the catch looking at that National Senior Certificate pass rate (bachelor’s degree pass) of 45%.

Gauteng found itself sitting uncomfortably in seventh position out of nine provinces, ranking third from the bottom when considering the basket of indicators.

While Gauteng commanded attention with an impressive overall pass rate of 88%, it also presented a puzzling picture, with a below-average participation in mathematics. Surprisingly, among those who did take the subject, a commendable 36% of learners achieved scores of more than 50%. Their throughput stands at 65% with proportions of distinctions again below average at only 5%.

Nevertheless, the reality of education equity remains a challenge as both Gauteng (33%) and the Western Cape (28%) struggle with low percentages of NSC passes qualifying for bachelor’s degree admission from no-fee schools. This juxtaposition of the education system and the targeted reforms should ensure that all learners, regardless of socioeconomic status, have the opportunity to succeed.

Western Cape sits in sixth position when considering the basket of indicators, and let’s just say it is not exactly doing a victory dance. While its overall pass rate is 87%, the statistics might make even the toughest teacher crack a smile. Western Cape is grappling with some rather perplexing issues. It struggles with a curious conundrum at the bachelor’s admission level (48%) at the national average.

The Western Cape faces a significant challenge with a low mathematics participation rate of just 24%. Among those who do take the subject, more than half of them score 50%, indicating that those engaged are performing well.

It seems like the province also excels in physical science where learner performance significantly outpaces the national average. Looking at the gender disparities of the 62,863 candidates, 35,288 were female with a pass rate of 50.2%, while the 27,575 male candidates achieved a pass rate of 44.7%.

In an unsettling, yet not surprising twist, the proportion of NSC passes at the bachelor level from no-fee paying schools is particularly concerning, standing at only 28%, the lowest among all provinces. This highlights the inequalities in educational quality and access, suggesting that learners from these schools face additional barriers to achieving higher standards.

Eastern Cape ranked fourth overall in 2024, tying for this position with Mpumalanga.

Eastern Cape emerges with a below-average provincial pass rate of 85% (all passes) and a below average (44%) for bachelor’s level passes. The province encountered a significant hurdle in mathematics: it seems that too many weak candidates are enrolled in mathematics, but this leads to a poor mathematics attainment. The province maintained 43% enrolment in mathematics classes, which is noteworthy, but only 24% of those cleared the 50% mark.

The estimate of throughput looks good. And Eastern Cape performs excellently in relation to the proportion of bachelor’s level passes from no-fee schools. This is significantly above the national average.

Mpumalanga ties in fourth place with Eastern Cape in 2024. Like the Eastern Cape it has a high proportion of candidates (41%) taking mathematics, with a below-average mathematics pass rate at the 50% level (27%).

Mpumalanga, you may benefit from considering which candidates are suitable for mathematics — and perhaps consider those who are obtaining distinctions in maths literacy as possible quality maths passes. Currently there are too many students failing mathematics.

Your proportions of learners passing physical science (74%) is just below the national norm, and your pass rate at 50% in this subject is at the national average (29%). The mismatch is more stark for mathematics.

Where Mpumalanga excels is in the proportion of NSC passes for admission into a bachelor’s degree that come from no-fee schools, at 81%. This is well above the national average, and something of which Mpumalanga should be justifiably proud.

KwaZulu-Natal recorded an impressive 90% pass rate. But let us dive a little bit deeper into these numbers to uncover some interesting stories.

The mathematics pass is impressive at 69%, but quality passes (above 50%) are a paltry 30%. Out of 161,962 candidates, 91,857 were female, 82,152 passed (53% of total pass rate), while, of the 70,105 males, 62,838 passed, giving a male pass rate of 50% out of the total. Similar gender disparities are evident for physical sciences.

The proportion of bachelor passes from no-fee schools is good at 69%. KZN also excels in the portion of distinctions, claiming the top spot on this indicator.

Free State has had some excellent results in 2024 and is hot on the heels of Limpopo. Its pass rate (at all NSC levels) is striking at 91%. However, more important is its pass rate for admission to a bachelor’s degree (48%) — where it is are only average.

Mathematics participation is low (34%), perhaps suggesting some gaming of the system to achieve the highest pass rate? The proportions of learners getting more than 50% in maths (29%) and in physical science (28%) is just below average, and concerning.

Where Free State excels is in its no-fee schools, where 71% of its passes (at bachelor’s level) are from these schools.

Free State, we are watching you to see you increase the maths and science quality passes. We don’t mind a low pass rate if you are getting more learners to take these challenging subjects, and pass them. Perhaps some of your maths literacy distinction candidates would be better off passing mathematics?

Limpopo is ranked first overall in 2024 across the provinces with a provincial pass rate of 85%, similar to Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. The province lags a little in relation to the proportion of passes (at all levels), as well as its proportion of bachelor’s level passes (44%).

Its proportions of learners attaining more than 50% in mathematics and physical science are just below average. However, this obscures its good performance across many of the other indicators.

Limpopo is definitely the province to watch in terms of mathematics participation (44%) and the proportion of NSC passes (admission to bachelor’s level) from no-0fee schools (86%). Looking across the basket of indicators, Limpopo tops the rankings of the provinces in 2024 with almost balanced gender passes at 44.2% for males and 44.3% for females.

In 2024, Limpopo took the top achievement award across the basket of indicators, and the equity and redress indicator of bachelor’s level passes from no fee schools. Congratulations! DM

Nicky Roberts is director of Kelello, and an extraordinary Associate Professor at the University of Stellenbosch. Mhlanga Mbala is a Kelello intern and a PhD candidate in politics at Wits University. Refilwe Thobejane is a Kelello intern. She is doing her master’s in social development at Wits.

Matric results gender disparity – where have all the young men gone?

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By Nicky Roberts

25 Jan 2023

Why are our young men more vulnerable to dropping out? Why are they failing more? What is going on in homes and communities which pulls men away from schools? And how do those factors play out in society and employment at large?

Like many South Africans across the country I awaited the matric results with one part interest, one part disdain and one part anxiety: interest as it is a key stable barometer of the health of our schooling system; disdain as this is not the only indicator, but garners the most attention; and anxiety because I have teenage children, nieces and nephews and friends in my life.

This time of year is stressful. The NSC results require an anxious wait at a school or for a sms or trying “check your results” websites which tell you just pass or fail (and so are very unhelpful).

That is followed by the wait for universities to contact young adults. They can expect either “congratulations you have been accepted. Accept in three days to respond…” or “Your application is being considered. You met the minimum requirements, but that does not guarantee acceptance. We will communicate with you in due course”.

So the straight-A kids get three or four offers. They decline two or three of them. This then frees up space for more acceptance letters to go out (but only after another week or so). Those with bachelor passes wait to see which queue is short enough to accommodate them. Those with diploma passes look for opportunities in Tvet colleges, or university diploma courses.

My last week has held various matric results conversations with young South African men. All of them privileged and from fee-paying schools in Gauteng.

19-year-old young man A: got his second choice, and now needs a place to stay

  • “Oh no. I am so mad at myself. I missed two As. I only got four. I can’t get into actuarial science. But I am accepted into UCT for applied maths and stats.”
  • “That’s wonderful. Go for it. You will still do really interesting stuff.”
  • “I did not know that getting into res was so hard. There is no way I can afford those private fees. How can I find a place?”

19-year-old young man B: missed his entrance into a BA

  • “I just missed the 34 points I need for a BA at UWC. One point. One point. That’s just three marks on my 47 for CAT.”
  • “Why don’t you try for a remark or apply for the extended BA programme?”
  • “What’s an extended programme?”
  • “Some universities offer a four-year degree programme for students who just miss the points threshold. You get extra support, and/or take first year over two years.”

21-year-old young man: wants to go back and try university again

  • “I think I want to study again. Can you help me? I dropped out of university in second year. It was Covid. It was horrible. I have worked for two years now. But I think I want to try again. How does that work?”
  • “You have to apply again with your matric and first-year results. But most university applications close in June. You will have to start in 2024 if it’s a public university. Or try distance learning this year (UNW, or Wits Plus).”
  • “Ok so I have time to decide on what I actually want to do. What’s the difference between a BCom PPE (politics, philosophy, economics) and a BA PPE? And what about BA (law)? What Will my BSc credits count? I passed first year.”

18-year-old young man: got a diploma pass, but a matric with 40s for maths and physics

  • “I am disappointed I passed. But only with a diploma pass. I messed up with maths, physics and Afrikaans. I suck at those. I improved from grade 11. That was crazy. We had eight different maths teachers. They all started again with number patterns. I got a tutor this year. My results are better. But not enough.”
  • “You can do a second-chance matric. With maths and physics you should try again. If you don’t plan to go into sciences, you could write maths literacy and pick up something else instead of physics.”
  • “I am waiting to hear from UJ. I applied there for a diploma.”
  • “You are young. You can improve your results. You don’t have to go back into a school uniform. Improve your results to then choose what you really want to study.”

 19-year-old young man: yes, he applied for res… but did he?

  • “I got into UWC, and into what I wanted! Now I am waiting to hear about res.”
  • “Have you checked your emails? (They won’t contact you on Instagram or Twitter).”
  • “Yes. But no res email. Just my acceptance.”
  • “Are you sure you applied for res?”
  • “I ticked a box that said: ‘Will you be applying for res?’ and I said ‘yes’.”
  • “But then did you apply for res?”
  • “What do you mean?”
  • “Saying you will apply for res, is not the same as completing the res application form. You said you would… but you didn’t actually apply.”
  • “Oh no!!! What do I do now?”

18-year-old young man: why have I heard nothing

  • “I am worried. Everyone else is getting news from universities. I have heard nothing.”
  • “Have you checked your email?”
  • “Yes.”
  • “Which email address are you checking?”
  • “Gmail.”
  • “Was that the email you used to apply?”
  • “Yes… um. No. Actually… I used my school email. But we have been cut off from school email now that we have finished.”
  • “Well, the university is probably communicating with you via that school email… I think you should call your school. Or contact the university to give your new details.”

I have conversations, but I also have fun playing with the results. It’s part of my job. This year has been frustrating as I can’t get hold of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Technical report. I am relying on the director general’s presentation of the technical report. I have been looking at two things: the age of our learners, and their genders.

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How old are the young adults writing matric?

NSC full time enrolment by age (2021 and 2022)

This graph shows that the adults writing matric in 2022 are generally younger than those who wrote in 2021.

I focus on 17-22-year-olds. Why?

Most children enter Grade R at five years old (a few go a year earlier). Thirteen years later they will be 18, and should be in Grade 12. About half of them will have turned 19 during their matric years. The DBE progression policy is that you can only repeat one grade in a phase. So you get four possibilities of repeating a year. So the expected age for matric is 17 to 22-year-olds. Also, the numbers get pretty small for 23 onwards. But, congratulations to those adults who took on the matric challenge.

Why are our matriculants getting younger?

This is because of the new progression policy. You can now only repeat a grade once in a phase. Look at the data on grade-level repetition over time.

Percentage of learners repeating the current grade.

We are now flattening the Grade 10-11 repetition bulge. From around 2010, and continuing to 2018, we had a very high repetition rate at Grade 10, 11 and 12. Learners were being kept back for not meeting grade-level expectations. “And rightly so!” I hear some readers say.

Well, the evidence on repetition is pretty clear: repeated repetition does not improve individual learning outcomes. Repeating is not a punishment for lack of effort. Repeating should allow a child to catch up on missed learning. Repeating again and again just tends to lead to individual frustration and social problems in schools.

Schools in England group children strictly by age, and not by attainment at all. I think if a child has had a major setback, developmental delay, or is not reading enough to learn in grade 4, that repetition in the early grades can be helpful. Repeated repetition in higher grades has far less impact. The progression policy recognises this.

We no longer have as many full-grown adults (22 and older) sitting in school desks in a school uniform, and taking up the place of our 17 and 18-year-olds. Those who fail are progressed. If they fail again they exit the school system and can take up opportunities in Tvet colleges, seek work or participate in a learnership (through a Seta).

Why only men?

I pick out the young men, as this graph has seriously bothered me since the matric results were announced.

Full time enrolment in Grade 12 by age and gender.

Full time enrolment in Grade 12 by age and gender

See those spikes of more women than men in the 17, 18 and 19 age groups?

Look at what we see in the 17 to 22-year-old categories:

We see a similarly skewed female:male ratio when we consider NSC passes by gender (56% female: 44% men).

What’s the problem?

The problem is with the young men, when compared with young women: 1) men are dropping out more before matric; 2) men are repeating a grade more often in school, and so are older when in matric; and 3) more men are failing matric.

Why? We have gender parity by age in our demographic data. We know that there are pressures on women to exit school (pregnancy and childcare roles and caring for a family all impact disproportionally on young women).

We should expect more men than women. Why do we see the opposite? What’s going wrong for young men?

This is a global trend. After centuries of denied access to equal educational opportunities, when women are granted access, they tend to outperform men. This seems to be the case in almost all disciplines, except the “hard sciences”.

And even in the hard sciences, women tend to not take up the educational opportunities offered to them in what are viewed as “traditional male” domains. Those women who take the plunge and enter the hard sciences, match the men’s performance.

What’s the problem behind the problem?

OK, so we know the problem: 1) more South African women are taking up the opportunity to write matric than men are; 2) men are failing more often, and dropping out; and 3) fewer men are passing matric.

But so what? Isn’t this what gender activism intends?

No. As a feminist, I am deeply concerned. I want gender parity. And when one gender is disadvantaged and not reaching its potential, I am interested in why. What are the structural, environmental and cultural factors that are constraining our young men?

Of the young adults in prison, only 180 enrolled for matric. I would like to see the gender breakdown there (but it remains tiny compared with the nearly 100,000 missing men).

What is our education system expecting, and what are schools doing that makes men more vulnerable to dropping out? Why are they failing more? What is going on in homes and communities which pulls men away from schools? And how do those factors play out in society and employment at large?

We should all be concerned. We should all be asking: what is going wrong for our young men?

Note: When the DBE publishes the technical report on 2022 NSC results, I will provide further analysis on other points of interest, such as our education trends in gateway subjects. DM

Nicky Roberts is the director of Kelello Consulting and a Professor in mathematics education. She has a PhD in mathematics education (Wits), a Master’s in International perspectives in mathematics education (Cambridge) and a postdoc from the University of Johannesburg. She writes in her personal capacity.

Sums of all fears: The seven steps I used to help my kids survive matric

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By Nicky Roberts

31 Jan 2022

How to score top marks negotiating the minefield that is Grade 12 (and maths and physics).

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I am a professor in mathematics education. My teacher training is in high school mathematics, physical science and English. I study the learning of children in the age group from birth to 12 years old, and of the adults who care for them.

In 2021, matric was particularly personal for me. I am the mother of boy-girl twins. Born in 2003 and then matriculating. So I write as a mom, and as South Africa has a schooling system that is improving.

So, what’s the problem?

Well, as a mom, I bumped into two major problems actually. The first was maths. The second was physical science.

Step 1: Choosing subjects in Grade 10

When my twins were in Grade 9 I encouraged them to do what they loved in Grade 10. I wanted a balanced curriculum. I explained that not taking maths or physics would limit their career options.

So, in Grade 10 both my children “chose” mathematics and physical science. They balanced this with drama and history. My son tried computer science and said he dreaded seeing “CS” on his timetable. He said he was keen to do drama. He switched to drama after the first term in Grade 10.

So my little offspring were taking English, Afrikaans, maths, physics, drama and history. We were doing well. Or so I thought.

Step 2: Surviving maths anxiety, and insufficient ‘maths practice’

The first major speed bump came with a maths-anxious daughter. She got it. The maths, I mean. She really did. But she got it in different ways from her teachers and her textbooks. Exams freaked her out.

We had stomach upsets. We had tears. In the end I took over much of her maths tutoring and made myself available to spend the 18 hours before any maths test or exam being present for her.

My son found maths easy. And he got lazy. He could understand it and explain it. So why actually do it? Time pressure in exams soon started to reveal the cracks in that plan.

But they both muddled through mathematics. Highly, highly privileged. Private school. Small classes, iPad on the stationery list. That kind of thing.

Step 3: Dodging the Covid curveball

Then came Covid. In Grade 11. The crucial year. And the major physics Phenomenon. And what a Phenomenon it was!

Both of them. In stereo. Lawdy lawd lawd.

And now it was the end of Grade 11.

I pushed on. Got a tutor. It was another six months until the exams. No turning back now.

Step 4: Learning how to apply for university

In June of the matric year, university admissions close. Should be straightforward enough. Except it’s not. You have to know lots of stuff:

Which universities exist. Hint: there are more than five in South Africa.

How is a programme different from a course?

Which programmes does each university offer? And what is a faculty?

When is it humanities and when is it social science and when is it arts?

The new word “prospectus”.

I know there are NGOs to help students in mainstream South African schools manage this process. Elite moms like me are meant to have it sorted…

I started off having a chat with my kids around interests and careers and options. I then sent them each off to a different university website to figure out how to apply. After all, I expected them to be independent and capable, and not rely on me.

Not so fast. They both asked me to step in.

I watched what they were doing. Both were no longer on the official university site. I was shocked at how easy it was to be directed to some fly-by-night college, or an international university offering. Before you know it your search for “medical school” is aggressively selling you Botox injections.

I had a stream of teenagers hanging out on my stoep asking for my help. My twins and their friends were floundering. The rumour mills worked overtime. Only a few universities feature, and all have hearsay reputations. “This one is too political. Too many protests. Not safe, you know.” “I hear that the other one is not too bad – my friend’s child is there. Not sure what he is doing, though.”

Step 5: Applying for university

Neither of my twins wanted to make a contribution to science, engineering, medicine or climate change.

No. My daughter wanted the arts. She wanted history, philosophy, maybe a dash of theatre. Or perhaps politics. And then it came: “Why did you make me take maths, Mom? And physics? I mean, what will I use it for? I am never going to go on a train bouncing a ball and wondering about its path of motion. Never. It’s. Not. Going. To. Happen.”

Yikes. “Because I had your best interests at heart, and I don’t think I knew how strong your feelings were back then?”

And my son? He wanted maths. “Maths is really helpful with trading and sports betting, and just knowing how to think about numbers, patterns and change.” Okay. So that was something. But he too had it in for me: “But physics?! Mom, what were you thinking? It’s two subjects in one. I mean, what has physics got to do with chemistry? We do twice as much work as all other subjects. And our marks suck.”

So, there I sat with a daughter who wanted to do a BA, and a son who was into data, finance, stats and probability. Now you tell me: did I do them a disservice by making maths and physics non-negotiable? I am shocked by how many bright, highly motivated, very privileged young adults are turning away from these two “gateway” subjects.

Step 6: Gaming the university admissions system

But also. I get it. I get why so many young adults steer clear of maths and physics.

Why would you get a 40 or 50 in physics when you can get an 80 or 90 in tourism or consumer or business studies? Why would you get a 40 or 50 in maths when you can get a 70 or 80 in maths lit? Full stop.

As a matriculant, your physics and chemistry papers are up there fighting against hospitality studies and computer application technology. A 50% in tourism or consumer studies is the same as 50% in physics.

And it’s the university admissions systems that drive the gaming. Universities require maths for medicine, science, engineering and some business programmes. But then in the arts, humanities and/or social sciences, maths lit is fine.

University of Cape Town (UCT) applications for a BA rate maths exactly the same as maths lit. I have heard two arguments in defence of UCT’s policy: (a) You don’t need maths for a BA; (b) It helps meet “the diversity” requirements. I will respond to both.

You don’t need maths for a BA

Tell that to the psychology student trying to read the results of t-tests in their research papers. Or trying to pass the stats component of their third year. Tell that to any of my postgraduates in education who suddenly have to learn quantitative methods.

In addition, if admission to a BA is based on academic merit, then universities should not penalise students who take a more difficult subject. You should reward this. Maths is a more challenging subject in matric than maths literacy. Why not weight maths accordingly? Let the matriculant with a C in maths be ranked the same as an A+ in maths literacy. In the UCT points system, add 30 points for taking maths. In other universities, add two or three points for maths.

The same holds for physics. It is difficult. Our country needs it. So why not reward those students who persevere with physics? Add an extra 20 points in the UCT system, or two points for other university systems.

Note: I am not dissing maths lit. I think it is important and excellent that all matrics now have some maths until matric. And I know not all students manage maths. What I am concerned about is that matriculants who do manage maths (and may need those analytical skills in their future career) are penalised by some universities for taking it.

Counting maths the same as maths literacy helps diversity

If diversity is the aim then increase the weighted points score, which factors in diversity criteria.

I thought it was worth looking at the national picture. How many matriculants are taking maths? How many take physics?

The proportion of matriculants taking maths and physics from 2016 to 2021 was pretty stable. But look at 2020 and 2021. Why have we seen National Senior Certificate (NSC) results being just a small decline? Are the overall NSC results not as bad as we thought, as we have a serious decline in proportions of pupils taking maths and physics? Sixty percent of matriculants have always shifted from maths to maths literacy. And 70% have steered clear of physics.

The matriculants are on to something: don’t take maths and physics unless you are sure you want a place in engineering or medicine.

Step 7: Getting the NSC results

Before the results came out I wrote this little WhatsApp message to my twins: “What lovely young people you have become. Great friendships, great humour and a feisty love of life! We would like to wish you well in whatever paths lie ahead for you. Whatever your marks say, remember what school reports don’t measure. There are many opportunities that lie ahead of both of you.”

The twins’ results were pleasing. They had worked hard. They each bagged a few As and a few Bs. They got above-average marks for maths and physics. This was good enough for a BA entrance for my daughter. My son just missed a 60% in maths. That was not good enough for his plan to do a BCom or BSc. Not the end of the world. He has decided to do an extended-degree programme or a second-chance matric. Better to spend a year improving his marks and then follow his dream career, than forever resent a door being closed to him. He knows he bombed out in his maths exam. It can be fixed. DM168

Nicky Roberts is an associate professor in mathematics education in the Department of Childhood Education, University of Johannesburg, Soweto campus. She writes in her personal capacity.

The 30% matric pass mark: To increase or to scrap, and why all the excitable commentary?

in /by
By Nicky Roberts
12 Jan 2022  3

If we scrap the 30% pass mark, our expectation of each Grade 12 learner is: Choose your NSC subjects wisely and get the best marks that you can in all your subjects. The higher your marks, the more opportunities for further study and work will open up for you. You can’t fail as there is no ‘pass mark’. Whatever marks you get, those marks are printed on your NSC certificate.

It’s January 2022. In South Africa we await “the matric” or National Senior Certificate (NSC) results. They are a little later than before, as our 2021 school started later than usual.

Yet again we have some South Africans frothing at the mouth and exasperated about the “30% pass” mark. This year the 30% pass exasperation pack is led by Mmusi Maimane. His current pinned tweet:

“I am calling for the end to the announcement of matric results based on the 30% standard. The impact of the 30% based results announcements is this:

  1. We inflate matric success metrics.
  2. We mask the real state of our education system.
  3. We entrench low expectations and stereotypes.” (tweet, @MmusiMaimane, 28 Dec 2021).

Ja, né? Politics is politics. Politicians will be politicians.

Maimane’s provocation is an attack on the leadership of Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. This is clear in his tweets such as: “Reason 1001 why we need a new minister of basic education. #AngieMustRest #End30PercentMatric” (9 January 2022) and “The Minister of Education should resign” (9 January 2022).

On 8 January Maimane tweeted: “We must END 30% MATRIC PASS MARK.

  1. It sets low expectations across the board.
  2. It obfuscates the state of our education system and inflates the past (sic) rate.
  3. It allows poor education leaders like #AngieMotshekga to dodge accountability.

END IT.”

Ja, né? Politics is politics. Funny how, on the day the ANC has its 110th birthday celebration and its January 8 address, we see the far younger, and much smaller, political parties (or “movements”) desperate to claim some media time. Mission accomplished: Maimane has been on TV.

But setting politicking aside, the “30% pass mark” debate remains stubbornly fake news in South Africa. In this article I argued that the 30% pass exasperation is clung to by those who:

  1. Think that you pass matric with 30%;
  2. Think that the government is just making schooling, and so matric, easier and easier;
  3. Just can’t internalise that a learner who doesn’t know 70% of a subject matter is deemed to have passed that subject; and
  4. Think that expectations matter.

I argued that, instead of being exasperated by a 30% pass and lobbying to increase it, we rather scrap it altogether. How would this work?

Simple, really.

Matric results have two purposes. The first is as a currency for the individual matriculant to access higher education or the world of work. The second is to monitor the quality of our schooling system over time.

How would scrapping the 30% pass mark work for an individual learner?

Every young adult who writes matric is issued with a matric certificate (called an NSC or National Senior Certificate). Their marks for each subject (as a percentage) are recorded on their NSC. They use their NSC certificate to seek work or apply for further study.

If we scrap the 30% pass mark, our expectation of each Grade 12 learner is: choose your NSC subjects wisely and get the best marks that you can in all your subjects. The higher your marks, the more opportunities for further study and work will open up for you. You can’t fail as there is no “pass mark”. Whatever marks you get, those marks are printed on your NSC certificate.

How would scrapping the 30% pass mark work for monitoring the quality of the schooling system?

To measure quality, we have to measure attainment (marks across the chosen subjects) over time.

How do we currently monitor the quality of our schooling system, using matric results? We make comparisons and use the same ruler to measure this each year. So we set thresholds to define different levels of attainment. We make home language, first additional language, life orientation and mathematics/mathematics literacy/technical mathematics compulsory.

We basically take the results from all the learners who wrote six subjects for matric (excluding life orientation). We then put each learner into a particular basket with each basket representing a different quality of NSC results. We currently define the boundaries between the baskets using the following criteria:

  • LEVEL 0: Fail. All those who did not obtain level 1.
  • LEVEL 1: National Senior Certificate level. Three subjects above 40% (including home language). Two subjects above 30%.
  • LEVEL 2: Higher Certificate level. Three subjects above 40% (including home language). Three subjects above 30% .
  • LEVEL 3: Diploma level. Four subjects above 40% (including home language). Two subjects above 30% .
  • LEVEL 4: Bachelor degree level. Four subjects above 50%. Home language above 40%. First additional language above 30%.

If we scrap the 30% pass mark, we just don’t call LEVEL 0 “a fail”. LEVEL 0 is simply, “Did not obtain LEVEL 1”.

To monitor the quality of our schooling system, we monitor the proportion of learners falling into each basket of attainment. Our expectation is that we see increasing proportions of learners getting higher levels of attainment (better results) over time. We report on this annually, and reflect on this in five-year cycles. We reflect on the results as well as the subjects offered and the curricula of those subjects.

To monitor the quality of our education system, we should also be interested in how many people study in schools, at FET colleges in learnerships.

What do we expect from the matric results announcement in 2021?

When the minister announces the “matric” results to the nation, she reports on the number and percentage of learners who obtained their matric at each NSC LEVEL. This is already being done by Minister Motshekga. The team at the Department of Basic Education detail all of these issues in NSC technical reports, which are provided online the day after the results are released.

See here for reports on NSC results from 2009 to 2020.

The 30% matric exasperation is an inappropriate focus on how we define our baskets of quality performance. It focuses on the threshold that just defines who goes into the first basket. But the baskets are essentially arbitrary.

We have to have some baskets that catch learners who are doing badly – and so have fewer opportunities open to them for further study or employment. We must also have some baskets that catch learners who are doing well – and so take their pick of future opportunities.

Importantly, we need to use the same ruler for how we place people into these baskets, so we can make comparisons over time.

The 30% matric pass exasperation focuses on the ruler that we use to measure quality over time. But it is important to realise that which baskets we use remains arbitrary. However we define our ruler, its purpose is to allow us to track changes over time.

This how the proportions of matriculants performing at each attainment level has changed over time in the last six years:

NSC results by level from 2015-2020

Source: Author created using data from DBE, NSC Technical report 2020.

Notice:

  • LEVEL 2: NSC is basically redundant. At most, 0.02% learners fall into this basket.
  • The increase in proportions of highest-quality (LEVEL 4: Bachelor’s) passes from 2015 to 2019.
  • The effect of Covid-19 pandemic: There is an increase in Level 0 in 2020. However, the proportion of Level 4 passes only slightly declined.

If we did not use the current 5 NSC LEVELS to define attainment baskets, what ruler could we use to measure our educational quality?

Lobbying for an increase in the 30% pass/fail threshold simply tinkers with our ruler. It draws unnecessary attention to the boundary between LEVEL 0 and LEVEL 1. We could make more fundamental changes to how we monitor the quality of matric outcomes.

There are several other ways to think about the distribution of the matric results, and so monitor quality over time.

One way we could change our ruler is to use Grade point averages (the learner’s average mark) to define thresholds for each basket. Calculating the average mark is a way of changing the six subjects, each with their own percentage, into a single average mark for each NSC learner.

We can illustrate this using the information provided to define the current LEVEL 0-4 baskets. Let’s take LEVEL 4: Bachelors pass. The criteria for LEVEL 4 are: Four subjects above 50%, home language above 40% and first additional language above 30%. The minimum total marks for a learner at passing LEVEL 4 is: 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 40 + 30 = 270. Their NSC average is therefore a minimum of 45%.

What do we lose by just using an average mark (or Grade point average) instead of the criteria?

  • We do not require a minimum threshold for home language.
  • We do not allow for a lower mark in first additional language.
  • We do not require achievement of over 40% or 50% in a minimum number of subjects.

Another way we could change our ruler is to use the Admissions Points Score (APS) currently used by most South African universities, and apply this to all NSC learners. The APS is another way of changing the six subjects, each with their own percentage, into a single score for each learner.

For National Senior Certificate results, the Admissions Point Score for each subject is calculated as follows for each subject:

To get a single number to summarise the learner’s NSC result, you add together the APS points for each subject of the best six subjects (excluding life orientation). This total is the APS for the learner.

A learner who gets six distinctions (As, or all results over 80%) has an APS of 6 × 7 = 42. In contrast, a learner who only just meets the threshold for a LEVEL 4: Bachelor pass, has an APS score of 21. They just meet the Bachelors pass threshold: four subjects above 50% or more, home language above 40% and first additional language above 30%. So, their APS is (4 × 4) +  (1 × 3) + (1 × 2) = 21.

The advantage of an APS system is that it allows for comparison between NSC results and other international school systems. Another advantage is that specific universities, or particular faculties in universities, can use the APS system to specify particular admissions criteria. For example:

  • You must have mathematics, as mathematics literacy is not accepted; or
  • You need a minimum of five points or 60% in your home language.
  • Mathematics is more difficult than mathematics literacy so you get an extra 2 points for doing mathematics.

An APS system is already used across most South African universities. So we already have a ruler which measures the quality of our NSC LEVEL 4 Bachelor’s degree passes in more detail. This could be used by the Department of Basic Education to report on the proportions of learners performing in this highest NSC level.

Will changing our ruler improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools?

No. There is a common saying about assessment in education which explains that assessment alone does not improve quality: You don’t fatten the pig by weighing it. Our schooling system will not improve simply by assessing learners.

We must understand the two different purposes of our matric results:

  1. Matric results are a currency for an individual learner to access further learning or work opportunities. The better a learner does in each subject, the more opportunities open up for them. Matriculants should not be focused on an arbitrary threshold of pass/fail. They should do the very best they can in every subject. I think focusing attention on an arbitrary pass mark threshold of 30%, 40% or 50% distracts them from this goal.
  2. Matric results are a measure to monitor the quality of our schooling system over time. For this we need to agree on a consistent ruler which allows for comparison from one year to the next. We have used a 5 LEVEL NSC pass system (defined by subject level thresholds and criteria) for at least the last 12 years. To get more detail on proportions of higher-level performance, we could split our Level 4 Bachelors pass basket into smaller categories (using the average mark or the APS).

So in conclusion, where exactly do I stand on the 30% pass mark debate?

Let me answer a few pertinent questions directly:

  • Do I think that the 30% pass mark should be increased? No. I think the pass mark should be scrapped altogether.
  • Do I think we could have a better ruler to measure the quality of schooling in South Africa? Yes. It seems many people struggle to understand the 5 NSC LEVELS. It would be helpful to have more detail in the NSC LEVEL 4: Bachelors pass.
  • Do I think that changing our ruler is our most pressing issue in schooling? Definitely not.
  • Do I think that we need to put all our efforts into changing our ruler? No.
  • Is the 30% pass exasperation a distraction from what we need to do to keep improving schooling? Absolutely.

I will conclude by rephrasing the common saying about assessment. To be absolutely clear to those who think that changing the 30% pass mark will improve our schooling system: You don’t fatten the pig by changing the scale or adjusting the units used to weigh it.

I hope that understanding the ruler that we use to measure the quality of matric will help South African citizens to better interpret the NSC results.

I look forward to the announcements to be made by Minister Angie Motshegka, and wish the Class of 2021 all the best.

Matric is just one step in a lifelong learning journey. There are many paths open to you. When one door closes, many others remain open. DM

Nicky Roberts is an Associate Professor in mathematics in the Department of Childhood Education at the University of Johannesburg. She has a PhD in mathematics education (Wits), a masters in International perspectives in mathematics education (Cambridge) and a post-doc at the University of Johannesburg. She writes in her personal capacity.

The metrics of matric: How the Class of 2020 actually fared, province by province

in /by
By Nicky Roberts
23 Feb 2021  2

The national matric results for 2020, when taken province by province, show that our outcomes are improving and our inequality narrowing. But the impact of Covid-19 and our rising poverty is yet to be evident in our school results. Our Class of 2020 was in fact quite protected from the impact of Covid-19 as the NSC exam measures two years of learning. The Class of 2020 was taught as normal in 2019. So it’s the Class of 2021 I worry about.

Matric results are out. A rousing round of applause to all the teachers, markers, district officials, exam setters, moderators and learners who pulled this off. The Class of 2020 can be proud of what they have achieved.

I have no interest in the pass rate. I have made it clear that National Senior Certificate (NSC) passes have little to no meaning. On Monday 22 February 2021, Education Director General Hubert Mweli joked about the 30% pass mark – and pointed out that 0% of the Class of 2020 attained matric at this lowest level.

I am pleased to see that attention is shifting to the quality of passes. The Class of 2020 obtained certificate, diploma and bachelor’s degree passes which they can use to enter the world of work or further study.

When looking at the NSC results, there are several metrics which I find really useful to focus on. Most importantly, tracking these allows us to monitor our progress at the end point of the schooling system over time.

As an alternative to the “pass rate” provincial rankings, I offer provincial report cards using six metrics.

Metric 1: Percentage of bachelor’s degree passes measures the percentage of the matric learners who obtained the highest quality of pass (at the bachelor’s degree level).

Next I turn to the quality of mathematics passes. Here two metrics are of interest: enrolment and passes at 50% or above.

Metric 2: Percentage of learners enrolled in mathematics (rather than mathematics literacy or technical mathematics) is important as it offers a proxy of how mathematics is valued. In order to get a better report card, provinces and/or schools may discourage enrolment in mathematics (which is not in the national interest).

Then this is complemented by Metric 3: Percentage of learners obtaining over 50% in mathematics, which offers a measure of the quality of mathematics passes. Over 50% is a meaningful pass level for access into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related degree programmes.

I repeat the same for physical science, another critical gateway subject for STEM programmes.

So Metric 4: Percentage of learners enrolled in physical science is accompanied by Metric 5: Percentage of learners obtaining over 50% in physical science.

As the last metric, I have selected the number of learners writing NSC with special educational needs (SEN). It shocks me that we have so few SEN learners writing their exams.

I have chosen as Metric 6: Measure of the number of SEN candidates per 500 NSC candidates. The unit of per 500 learners is arbitrary, but this at least draws attention to the seemingly very low identification (and hence support) for learners who face barriers to learning.

So I have chosen six metrics that I consider important when judging the attainment of the Class of 2020:

For each metric, I offered a “very good” comment to metrics that were higher than one standard deviation from the average across provinces, and a “very poor” comment to metrics that were lower than one standard deviation from the average.

Next I calculated a “poverty factor” for each province. There are very few global undeniable truths about education. One of them is that learning attainment correlates strongly with socioeconomic status (the wealthier the neighbourhood, the higher the results). We cannot ignore this.

The poor and rural provinces have a much steeper hill to climb than the urban richer provinces. Think roads. Think electricity. Think hunger and employment. Think about distances, access to devices, access to data, photocopiers, parents who are educated. Family members who are employed.

Because the poorer rural provinces have the odds stacked against them, I apply a poverty factor to their performance. Now, how I work out a poverty factor may be rebutted and hopefully improved. I know there are people far more competent in stats and economics than I am. I hope they use what I do as a straw dog and push against it – so we have a more robust poverty factor to use in future.

Now hold onto your seats. Breathe. This is how I worked out a crude provincial “poverty factor”.

I took the GDP per capita figures for each province. The ones I could find quickly from StatsSA were from 2017. That was when the Class of 2020 was in Grade 8, just entering secondary school. Good enough, I guess. I don’t think we have wild swings in relative GDP per capita per province. I then took the ratio of the provincial GDP per capita, to the national GDP per capita. I inverted this so that it changes from a wealth factor to a poverty factor.

Need an example? Okay.

Let’s compare Gauteng to Eastern Cape. Our national GDP per capita is R81,875.

Gauteng’s GDP per capita is R111,171.

So the Gauteng wealth factor is “111,171 divided by 81,875” = 1.4.

Gauteng is wealthier than the national average by x1.4.

The Gauteng poverty factor is 81,875 divided by 111,171 = 0.7.

Eastern Cape’s GDP per capita is R55,094.

So the Eastern Cape wealth factor is “55,094 divided by 81,875” = 0.7.

The Eastern Cape poverty factor is “81,875 divided by 55,094” = 1.5

To take into account the socioeconomic status (SES) of each province, I then applied the poverty factor to their TOTAL RAW SCORE (the sum of the six metrics). Because Gauteng is wealthy, its raw score is adjusted downwards (by x0.7). Because Eastern Cape is poor, its raw score is adjusted upwards by x1.5.

And now… Ta da! I can present my provincial report cards for the Class of 2020.

Comments:

Eastern Cape has claimed the #1 position in the provincial rankings this year. Congratulations.

Don’t get too comfortable though, Eastern Cape. Limpopo is very close behind.

Eastern Cape has encouraged learners to stay enrolled in mathematics with an excellent 53% of candidates taking maths. Quality passes in this lag behind, however.

Similarly, enrolments in physical science are high nationally, but once again the quality of passes is disappointing. There is also serious concern about the low numbers of learners identified for SEN support. I hope to see a big improvement in this next year.

In future I would like to see their proportion of bachelors passes from no-fee schools to reflect on their redress targets. I am also interested to see how their bilingual (isiXhosa/Sesotho and English) NSC assessment pilot is working, and expect this to be embedded into their system over time.

MEC Themba Kojane, you were well loved and will be dearly missed. Hamba kakuhle.

Comments:

Limpopo has done well in relation to enrolments for mathematics and physical science. However, the quality of its passes in these subjects is poor. There is also serious concern about their low numbers of learners identified for SEN support. I hope to see a big improvement in this next year.

Considering its socioeconomic status, Limpopo has fared well, having been ranked second this year. I think Limpopo could claim first place if it focuses on improving quality maths and science passes.

I would like to see their proportion of bachelor’s passes from no-fee schools to reflect on their redress targets.

Comments:

KZN can be proud of its proportion of bachelor’s degree passes. I hope to see it break the 40% mark in future.

KZN has encouraged learners to stay enrolled in mathematics with 42% of candidates taking maths. Quality passes in this lag behind, however.

Similarly, enrolments in physical science are high compared with nationally, but once again the quality of passes is disappointing. There is also serious concern about their low numbers of learners identified for SEN support. I hope to see a big improvement in this next year.

In future I would like to see their proportion of bachelors passes from no-fee schools to reflect on their redress targets. Considering its huge size and socioeconomic status, KZN has done well – although there is nothing particularly exceptional (as in either very poor or very good).

Comments:

Free State represents the national average and punches above its weight. It has 40% of its learners getting bachelor’s degree passes. Its poverty factor of just more than 1 is the same as that of Mpumalanga and Northern Cape, and yet it does far better. It places comfortably in the top half of provinces.

It has too many (60%) learners taking maths literacy or technical maths, and should aim for a higher mathematics enrolment. That said, it is getting better quality passes than the more rural provinces.

Its enrolment for physical science is concerning at only 31%, and again quality of passes are concerning.

Where Free State leads the pack is in identification of SEN learners. Please help the other provinces in this area.

In future I would like to see their proportion of bachelors passes from no-fee schools to reflect on their pro-poor targets.

Comments:

Mpumalanga represents the national average for socioeconomic status, but it lags behind Free State (which has a similar SES context). 70% of its learners fail to get a bachelor’s degree pass.

It’s enrollment in maths and physical science is okay, but ought to be over 50%. And the quality of passes in both subjects is concerning. There is also serious concern about their low numbers of learners identified for SEN support. I hope to see a big improvement in this next year.

In future I would like to see their proportion of bachelor’s passes from no-fee schools to reflect on their redress targets.

Comments:

Western Cape is a province of extremes. It’s second-best in the proportion of   bachelor’s degree passes, but Western Cape if one of the worst in terms of mathematics and physical science enrolment.

WCED, I hope you are not encouraging your learners to drop maths and physical science for easier options?

And I see historic data on “coloured” enrolments in these key gateway subjects is putrid. What is being done in Cape Town to narrow the gap between the Cape Flats and the suburbs? Whatever it is, it’s not enough.

In future, I would like to see their proportion of bachelor’s passes from no-fee schools to reflect on their redress progress.

There is also serious concern about their low numbers of learners identified for SEN support. I hope to see a big improvement in this next year.

Comments:

North West has more minuses than pluses this year. We expect more. With a poverty factor of more than 1, we expect higher proportions of learners getting bachelor’s passes. 32% is on the higher end, but Free State has not broken the 40% mark – can you do it?

Very low enrolments in mathematics and physical science, and not great proportions of quality passes in these subjects either.

Please get some lessons from Free State on how to identify and support your learners with SEN.

Perhaps when I analyse your proportion of bachelor’s passes from no-fee schools, things will look better.

Comments:

I expect much from Gauteng, given its size, SES and infrastructure. I am therefore pleased to see it leading the pack in proportions of bachelor’s degree passes. Its district level performance is also excellent.

Gauteng also has a very good proportion of learners obtaining quality physical science passes. I would however like to see higher enrolment in the subject.

It also has some processes for identifying learners with LSEN, although, as with all provinces, this is an area where I expect improvement.

I hope to see progress on redress when looking at the proportion of bachelor’s passes from no-fee schools.

Comments:

Northern Cape, I expect to see you performing at the level of Free State and Mpumalanga (all with a poverty factor of about 1). But this seems to have been a dreadful year for you.

What is going wrong? Is it the distances? Is it the heat? What’s happening?

Quality of passes are poor all round. But I am especially concerned with your physical science – both enrolment and quality passes are very poor.

Let’s hope that your report improves when I consider the proportion of bachelor’s passes from no-fee schools. Perhaps you are making progress on redress?

Conclusion:

I know that this reporting is flawed.

Hopefully these provincial reports will help to direct attention to some important quality indicators. I thought if we are going to keep having provincial competition, let’s at least take into account SES, and consider the added value that provinces are offering. Here is a summary for the Class of 2020:

I think the best way of comparing provinces is actually over a period of time, which is against their own benchmarks. 2020 was a tough year. Thanks to all who helped keep learning open.

But our Class of 2020 was in fact quite protected from the impact of Covid-19. The NSC exam measures two years of learning. The Class of 2020 was taught as normal in 2019.

So it’s the Class of 2021 I worry about. They missed school, had a trimmed curriculum and did not write exams. And of course, our Grade 2s and 3s have missed out on learning to read and lost confidence with numbers.

To reflect on redress, I wanted to consider the ratio of NSC passes at certificate, diploma and bachelor’s degree level from no-fee schools to fee-paying schools. Unfortunately redress data (at provincial level) was not provided by the DBE in their technical report.

I am very pleased to see the DBE reports that:

  • “249,162 candidates from ‘no-fee’ schools obtained an NSC compared to 141,433 from ‘fee-paying’ schools” (DBE, 2021, p.90); and
  • “216,075 of the 387,717 ‘no-fee’ learners have access to a higher education study, with 115,444 having attained admission to bachelor studies and 100,631 having attained admission to diploma studies.” (DBE, 2021, p.8)

At a national level, for every five bachelor’s passes from “fee-paying” public schools, there were seven bachelor’s passes from “no-fee” public schools. This is an improvement on 2019, where the ratio of bachelor’s passes from “fee-paying” schools to bachelor’s passes from “no-fee” schools was 5:6. This shows that our outcomes are improving, and our inequality narrowing.

But I fear that the impact of Covid-19 and our rising poverty is yet to be evident in our school results.

We must urgently address food security and nutrition – we cannot expect stunted children to get bachelor’s passes in 10 to 15 years’ time.

A basic income grant must now urgently become a reality.

We must release spectrum and prioritise ICT investments into rural communities, with public primary schools as our connectivity hubs. We need zero-rates data for health and education.

Without aggressive pro-poor policies, we will not maintain this improvement trajectory and we will lose ground in reducing inequality. DM

Nicky Roberts is an Associate Professor in maths education in the department of  Childhood Education, University of Johannesburg, Soweto campus. She has a PhD in mathematics education (Wits), and a master’s in international perspectives in mathematics education (Cambridge). She writes in her personal capacity.

Successful implementation of mother tongue-based education is a complex task that can lead SA into the future

in /by

By Dr Thembisa Kosi, Mashaba Mashala, Dr Monica Mawoyo, Dr Qetelo Moloi, Dr Thelma Mort and Dr Sibongile Xamlashe

07 Nov 2024  1

The push for mother-tongue-based Bilingual Education in South Africa is a welcome step, but for it to be effectively implemented there must be alignment between educational policy, school curricula, and Initial Teacher Education.

South Africa has always placed emphasis on the critical role of home language in education, and recently, the Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education approach is the latest bold move in policy efforts towards the realisation of this. The growing push for Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education comes with significant implications for the country’s education system — especially for Initial Teacher Education. Neville Alexander, a proponent of use of home languages in education, recognising that mother tongue has never been fully established as the medium of instruction across the African continent, argued that Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education should be the future of education (Alexander, 2009).

The director of the South African Committee for Higher Education, Dr Neville Alexander. (Photo: Gallo Images / Foto24 / Edrea Cloete)

The South African context

South Africa is culturally and linguistically diverse, with 12 languages recognised as official languages. However, English and Afrikaans have long dominated as the languages of teaching and learning in schools, creating a significant barrier to understanding, participation, and academic success for many learners who do not primarily speak these languages.

The importance of using the mother tongue in early education is well documented in global and local research. Studies have shown that children taught in their mother tongue for at least the first six years of school tend to have better cognitive development, improved literacy, and higher overall academic achievement. They also develop a stronger sense of cultural identity and self-esteem.

With South Africa’s history of inequality in education, Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education, if implemented effectively, could serve as a powerful tool to improve educational outcomes, especially for the majority of learners in no-fee schools.

Policy adoption in Initial Teacher Education

The shift to Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education raises crucial questions about teacher development, an aspect that is recognised in government plans for the adoption and implementation of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education. Initial Teacher Education would require substantial transformation to align with the goals of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education. At present, Initial Teacher Education in South Africa predominantly focuses on English and Afrikaans, with limited emphasis on preparing teachers to effectively teach in African languages, which have long been neglected by the South African academy.

Language competence

To this end, one of the immediate challenges for Initial Teacher Education is the need to produce teachers who are proficient in African languages, both as first and second languages. In many cases, teachers themselves may not be adequately equipped to teach content in their mother tongue, through no fault of their own. Well-trained teachers in African languages recognise the language-specific challenges, including orthographic nuances, to distinguish learning difficulty that stems from language interference. This suggests the alignment of teacher training programmes with the goals of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education.

Training teachers in African languages is a critical step in achieving inclusive, multilingual education. Although teachers who speak an African language have a good start, this is hardly an adequate measure of whether a teacher can teach effectively in that language.  Teachers need adequate training to use the language effectively as a medium of instruction across various subjects. Initial Teacher Education programmes will need to incorporate comprehensive language development courses that focus not only on conversational proficiency, but also on literacy development and content delivery in African languages specific to academic subjects.

Bilingual pedagogy and resources

Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education’s premise is that English should support the mother tongue so that classrooms become bilingual. Therefore, teacher education must emphasise bilingual pedagogy — how to effectively teach in two languages without causing cognitive overload for learners. This includes training teachers in pedagogic strategies such as  translanguaging, language learning scaffolding, and other bilingual and multilingual teaching and learning strategies. Further, developing discipline-specific literacies in African languages is a priority.

There is an acute need for instructional resources, including textbooks, digital tools, and other educational materials, to be developed in South Africa’s indigenous languages. Currently, there is a dearth of quality resources in many of these languages, and Initial Teacher Education programmes must address how future teachers can navigate this challenge. Teachers need to be trained in adapting and developing their own materials or creatively using existing resources to teach content in African languages, to complement the resources that the government will provide.

Policy and curriculum alignment

For Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education to be effectively implemented, there must be alignment between educational policy, school curricula, and teacher training. While the South African government has signalled its support for mother-tongue instruction through policies such as the Language in Education Policy (1997), the practical realisation of these policies in schools has been inconsistent.

Initial Teacher Education programmes must therefore include thorough training on language policy and curriculum development, ensuring that future teachers are prepared to work within the framework of national education standards while advocating for mother tongue instruction where appropriate. Further, teachers need to be conversant with both the theory and practice of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education. This may require further professional development for teacher trainers, ensuring they are well equipped to model and teach Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education strategies effectively.

Dilemmas and questions: addressing social attitudes

One of the more nuanced challenges related to Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education is addressing the social perceptions around language use in education. In South Africa, English is often seen as the language of opportunity and advancement (the language of commerce), while African languages are sometimes viewed as less valuable in the context of global competitiveness. These attitudes have led to the rejection of previous mother tongue instruction efforts, influencing the decisions of parents, learners, and even teachers, who have preferred English.

Initial Teacher Education programmes must, therefore, incorporate critical discussions around the value of linguistic diversity and the importance of mother-tongue education in building equitable, inclusive educational environments. Teachers need to be advocates for the importance of maintaining and promoting African languages in schools, while also recognising the role that English plays in the global economy. This dual awareness is essential for the successful implementation of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education.

The timing

Although Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education is a welcome development in South Africa, implementation in Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Technology in Grade 4 is scheduled for January 2025. This timing presents several dilemmas and questions, including:

  • The complexity of South Africa’s linguistic landscape demands that multiple approaches for Initial Teacher Education programmes be used as one approach cannot fit all languages. Are universities ready for this?
  • Preparations for implementation have started two-and-a-half months before the 2025 school year. Is this adequate time for the translation of annual teaching plans and workbooks, versioning and verification, and authentication of terminology by the Pan South African Language Board? During this process, how will potential fragmentation from resistance to the standardisation of language that negates multiple dialects be addressed?
  • Under the current fiscal constraints, how will the transition to Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education be financed?
  • Is implementation to be rolled out in all schools, or will this be piloted and evaluated to present evidence for decision making on scaling?
  • Have risks been identified and mitigation strategies explored?

The answers to these questions would increase public awareness and shape perceptions and predictions about the future of Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education.

Looking forward

Implementing Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education across South Africa is a complex task that will require coordinated efforts across various levels of the education system. For Initial Teacher Education, the stakes are particularly high.

If Initial Teacher Education programmes can successfully develop multilingual teachers, providing training in bilingual pedagogies, and addressing resource gaps, then South Africa has the potential to see significant improvements in educational outcomes, particularly for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. DM

Dr Thembisa Kosi is a Coordinator for the Centre of African Language Teaching and Learning, UWC; Mashaba Mashala is a lecturer, Department of Language Education, Arts and Culture, UNISA; Dr Monica Mawoyo is with Kelello Collectives; Dr Qetelo Moloi is a Research Fellow, UJ; Dr Thelma Mort is a Unisa Senior Lecturer and Dr Sibongile Xamlashe is the Subject Head: isiXhosa, CPUT. They are all members of the Primary Teacher Education (PrimTEd) Assessment Community of Practice.

Solving the maths equation in SA amid a positive symbol and overall negative trend

in /by
 
21 Oct 2024  6

We can’t tell our South African Grade 12 maths story without mentioning maths literacy. Does it make sense for learners who could obtain a quality pass in mathematics not to take it, and rather go for a distinction in maths literacy? No.

 

As the matric class of 2024 commences its exams it is worth reflecting on South Africa’s mathematics story. How are we doing in mathematics?

The class of 2023 surpassed expectations in terms of mathematics attainment. The pass rate in mathematics increased by +8.5 percentage points from 55% passing in 2022 to 63.5% passing in 2023.

Yes, yes. I know that “pass” is a somewhat ridiculous measure. I have long advocated for scrapping the pass mark altogether. Matriculants should strive to get the best possible result they can.

All a National Senior Certificate offers is a place in the queue for higher education or for the world of work. In both queues a pass is not enough and your place in the queue is determined by your actual marks/grades.

The Class of 2023 attained a +8.5 percentage point increase at the 30% pass level. Whoop-de-do.

The good news is that the Department of Basic Education agrees that monitoring quality passes is what matters most. It has now included targets (and related reporting) at both the 50% and 60% levels for mathematics and physical sciences (see the 2019-2024 Medium Term Strategic Framework).

What about quality passes in mathematics?

The National Development Plan set an ambitious target of 35,000 learners attaining more than 50% in mathematics by 2025. The Class of 2023 exceeded this target with 41,273 achieving this. Let’s call a pass at 50% an ordinary pass, shall we?

Grade 12 learners attaining a quality pass (>60%) in mathematics. (Source: Author created from 2023 National Senior Certificate Report data)

The red line is the National Development Plan target of 35,000 learners. The black line shows the number of learners each year who have obtained a quality pass in mathematics (>60%).

The year 2023 was indeed one to celebrate. South Africa exceeded the National Development Plan target of 35,000 quality passes in mathematics. Halala!

What’s going on with maths literacy?

We can’t tell our South African Grade 12 maths story without mentioning maths literacy. There is a tension between participation in mathematics and attaining quality mathematics passes: Does it make sense for all matric learners to take mathematics? No.

Does it make sense for learners who could obtain a quality pass in mathematics not to take it, and rather go for a distinction in maths literacy? No.

So what is a reasonable proportion of matric pupils taking mathematics? The jury is out on this one, and it seems we have not yet established national maths participation targets.

Obviously mathematics is a gateway subject into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). But mathematics also offers a far better education than mathematics literacy.

Mathematics also offers a stronger grounding for social science and the humanities. Ask any humanities post-grad student who is considering a research study (or their supervisor). They will tell you that it is very frustrating to only be able to work with qualitative data. Both their career trajectory and their ability to influence policy and present hard evidence is seriously curtailed when they have to omit all numbers.

What proportion of our matrics should take mathematics?

The national data on participation in mathematics is scary.

We have seen a steady decline in matric pupils taking mathematics. In the Class of 2023 only 32% wrote mathematics. This means that 66% of Grade 12s take maths literacy and 2% take technical mathematics. Why is this the case? How do we have only one in three matric candidates taking mathematics?

Of course, mathematics is much harder than maths literacy. Maths literacy does not equip you with any ability to use and report on data to reason in abstract mathematical ways. It offers no algebra, no statistics, no financial mathematics and no abstract reasoning.

Why are we allowing matrics to get maths literacy distinctions, when we desperately need more candidates for Stem careers, and more numerate and mathematical citizens?

It is not realistic to have all matrics taking mathematics. But I am deeply concerned about the matrics who take mathematics literacy as they are chasing a distinction.

Firstly, I think that schools discourage students from taking mathematics for fear of this affecting their school pass rates, and bachelors pass rates.

Schools are measured by their pass rates. The Department of Basic Education now includes an inclusive basket of indicators, and participation in mathematics is one of these indicators. But our media is not yet focusing on this, and remains fixated with pass rates.

I understand that having smaller classes for mathematics is a benefit, and that those smaller classes may be more likely to attain quality passes. We certainly don’t need more matrics failing mathematics. The declines in mathematics participation must be halted.

Secondly, the university APS systems also discourage mathematics participation.

Most universities apply the Admission Point Score formula of “mathematics mark + 20 = maths literacy mark”.  The University of Cape Town (UCT) is the worst. As the country’s top-ranked university, it is an aspirational destination for our top matrics. Yet UCT weights mathematics literacy as equal to mathematics marks in its admission to humanities and non-Stem programmes.

Look at UCT’s two examples of how to calculate the Faculty Points Score in the humanities:

UCT’s two examples clearly encourage a maths literacy distinction. In example 1, the maths literacy mark is a distinction (83%), and this gives your Faculty Points Score a boost.

In example 2 we see that taking mathematics, and risking getting less than 40%, gives you a big fat zero. Weighting mathematics literacy at the same level as mathematics is crazy. UCT: What are you doing? Please, please explain this to us.

Turning to all our universities, I actually think that our overarching Admission Point Score formula should be: mathematics mark + 30 = maths literacy mark.

I think that a distinction in maths literacy (>80%), means a matric pupil might get an ordinary pass (>50%) in mathematics. In the Class of 2023, there were 9,142 distinctions in maths literacy. If those matrics persevered with mathematics, getting >50%, we would have more than 50,000 matriculants with an ordinary pass in mathematics.

So, just cut to the chase, what is our maths story?

South Africa’s output of quality passes (>60%) in mathematics has been improving. In 2023 we exceeded the National Development Plan target of 35,000 candidates, with 41,237 candidates getting quality maths passes. This is great news.

On the downside, we have fewer and fewer candidates taking mathematics, with two in three candidates opting for maths literacy. This is appalling. Both schools and universities should not encourage matric candidates to take mathematics literacy in order to game the admissions criteria and the schools pass rates.

What should we do? I have four concrete suggestions for various policy actors:

  1. Our media must report on bachelors’ level pass rates, as well as both participation and pass rates in mathematics and physical sciences. Media should use the Department of Basic Education’s inclusive basket and stop fixating on the pass rate headlines.
  2. Our universities must increase the Academic Point Score formula to: mathematics mark + 30 = maths literacy mark.
  3. UCT must change its Humanities Faculty Points Score, which perversely discourages mathematics participation.
  4. Umalusi (the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, with the Department of Basic Education) must cap mathematics literacy marks at 75%.

What about parents? If you think your child can get a maths literacy distinction (or even over 70%), encourage them to take mathematics.

It’s a better education for your child, better for our economy and better for active citizenry. DM

Nicky Roberts is an extraordinary Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum Studies at the University of Stellenbosch, and director of Kelello Consulting. She has a PhD in mathematics education (Wits), a masters in International Perspectives in Mathematics Education (Cambridge) and a post-doc at the University of Johannesburg. She writes in her personal capacity.