Joseph (2016) points out that NSC Matric results are a crucial measure of the country’s education system in the basic education sector. These results provide a key insight into the direction of South Africa’s education. Each year, the Minister of Basic Education publicly announces the matric results, sparking various reactions from education commentators. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) often celebrates an “improved” pass rate, while critics argue that the reliability of the matric results in South Africa is questionable. This paper aims to use the upcoming 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Matric results to show the inaccuracies and manipulation associated with NSC results annually. Additionally, the paper will explore why this happens and suggest ways to address the situation.
To illustrate, consider a hypothetical scenario: a company invests funds to send ten first-year students to a university for a three-year course, anticipating the return of ten graduates after three years. If the company receives fewer than ten graduates after three years, it signifies a loss. The company must allocate additional funding to support struggling students or face the option of abandoning them, resulting in financial losses. Applying a similar logic to NSC Matric results, a three-year assessment period emerges as a suitable tool to evaluate South Africa’s education system.
The NSC Matric class of 2023 started in Grade 10 in 2021. According to the Department of Basic Education-DBE (2022), excluding learners at standalone special schools, the DBE registered 1,036,786 Grade 10 learners nationally in 2021. However, it’s concerning that, as reported by Zulu (2023), only 939,740 learners wrote their 2023 NSC Matric exams according to DBE statistics. The mathematics between these figures is (1,036,786 – 939,740 = 97,046) which raises a concerning question: What happened to the 97,046 learners during the 2021-2023 schooling period? The 97,046 learners lost constitutes just over 10%, resulting in just over 80% of learners who wrote the 2023 NSC exams instead of 100%.
The official announcement of the 2023 matric results is set for January 18th (Barnard, 2023). On this day, the 10% of lost learners won’t be considered in the overall 2023 pass rate as it has always been the case. Despite only 80% of learners writing the exam, the DBE will present calculations as though they had a full cohort they received in 2021, distorting the true picture of matric results. The celebration on January 18th becomes a fabrication as it overlooks the genuine number of learners who successfully progressed from Grade 10 to 12 within a three-year period and passed their matric exams.
This is alarming! This calls for an urgent need for curriculum transformation in South Africa’s education system. As long as the curriculum remains unchanged, learners will likely struggle to achieve academic success, necessitating the annual fabrication of matric results to mask the underlying challenges. If those entrusted with the responsibility to lead the nation’s education system are genuinely committed and grasp the pressing need for a new curriculum structure, there would be no necessity to consistently fabricate Matric results, thereby presenting a misleading image to the public. The occurrence of such fabrications is rooted in the inadequacy of research within South Africa’s education sector, particularly concerning curriculum development and its alignment with societal needs. A glaring indication of the non-functioning curriculum system in South Africa is the notable lowering of pass requirement standards to as low as 30%.
The loss of public confidence in South Africa’s education system stems from the absence of curriculum transformation. In support of this viewpoint, Equal Education (2017) argues that the matric pass percentage serves as a superficial and misleading indicator of public education quality. Molver (2023) echoes this sentiment in Daily Maverick, suggesting that the assumption of the NSC Matric certificate as a valid and reliable measure for social and economic progress needs to be scrutinized. This proves to be the conclusive evidence that South Africa’s curriculum system is entrenched with lasting ineffectiveness, demanding urgent attention. The alarming state of the country’s education system persists without remedial action. Regrettably, the South African government in education continues to mislead the public, projecting an impression of educational success while the system remains in shambles, urgently necessitating comprehensive curriculum reform.
It is arguments like these that prompted the development of the Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS). Rooted in a humanistic approach and drawing from quality curriculum theory and competency-oriented education, PECS focuses on practical assessments to gauge students’ relevant skills, aptitudes, and values essential for navigating modern society effectively. PECS emerged as a response to dissatisfaction with the modernist curriculum system in South Africa, akin to the birth of postmodernism. It seeks to rescue learners from a curriculum that lacks progressive elements and fails to provide differentiated learning suitable for all students. Similar to the historical advent of progressivism, PECS acts as a disruptive and qualitative curriculum system aimed at resolving the confusion stemming from curriculum inconsistencies. PECS intends to restore the worth and respect of the education system by rendering it responsive to societal needs through a curriculum rooted in liberal education principles. A unique aspect of PECS is its emphasis on affording learners insights into the working world during their schooling years. This distinct feature underscores the relevance and inspiration that PECS offers to the educational community of South Africa and the broader African context. This perspective envisions an improved education system achieved through the implementation of such an approach.
Know more about PECS: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/personalized-education/
– Click on PECS PowerPoint presentation.
Please answer these 3 questions and submit them: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/pecs – Questionnaires
Cite this publication: XABA, S.S. 2023. Unmasking the realities of matric results: A call for curriculum reform in South Africa.. https://simnandisolutions.co.za/post/
Bibliography
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Barnard, H. 2023. Matric results in the making. News24 Online. Available at: https://www.news24.com/news24/community-newspaper/noordkaapbulletin/matric-results-in-the-making-20231213 [Accessed 15 December 2023].
Equal Education (EE). 2017. Matric results an indicator of primary schooling in crisis. Available at: https://equaleducation.org.za/2017/01/04/matric-results-an-indicator-of-primary-schooling-in-crisis/ [Accessed 12 December 2023].
Molver, J. 2023. Matric should not be the only metric by which we measure success – we must bring back regular assessment. Daily Maverick Online. Available at: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2023-02-02-matric-should-not-be-the-only-metric-by-which-we-measure-success-we-must-bring-back-regular-assessments/ [Accessed 13 December 2023].
Department of Basic Education (DBE). 2022. 2021 School realities. Available at: https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/School%20Realities%202021.pdf?ver=2022-02-07-094832-243 [Accessed 14 December 2023].
Zulu, N. 2023. Fresh calls for Motshekga to leave as class of 2023 begins exams. Sunday World Online. Available at: https://sundayworld.co.za/news/education/fresh-calls-for-motshekga-to-leave-as-class-of-2023-begins-exams/ [Accessed 13 December 2023].