Minister Grant reveals strategy to increase the Grade 12 pass rate

By Khanyisa Tabata
02 February 2010

Education Minister in the Western Cape Donald Grant today unveiled the department’s plans to achieve an 80 percent pass rate.

Briefing the media, Grant said the department has identified schools that have achieved the lowest passing rate. The Western Cape remained the highest in the country but it decreased by 10 percent over the last five years.

“The number of underperforming schools in the province has increased from 74 to 85 since 2008, with 17 of those schools attaining a pass rate of under 40 percent. This is particular concerning, given that this number has consistently increased over the past four years.

“There is no doubt that an urgent intervention is needed to stop this decline and that this is intervention must be targeted and specific,” said Donald Grand.

Grant added that the province is aiming at an 80 percent pass rate this year. He said to achieve this pass rate we need to get at least 36 000 passes in 2010.

“Another intervention is to increase the pass rate in high enrolment subjects with high failure rates. We have identified the number of subjects that needs our special attention; they are Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Science, Accounting and Economics.

“We will focus on specific areas of the syllabus where there is s high mark burden but which are difficult to teach, ” said Grant.

According to Grant the department is planning to assist each learner by improving individual learner performance by encouraging teachers to take responsibilities for individual learners in their class. A textbook survey will also be conducted of all grade 12 learners to see if they have textbooks.