IT is a little astounding to listen to education department officials and political heads when they express their disappointment over the dismal performance of schools, particularly those in townships and rural areas, during last year’s matric exams.
IT is a little astounding to listen to education department officials and political heads when they express their disappointment over the dismal performance of schools, particularly those in townships and rural areas, during last year’s matric exams.
The question was raisedon why black pupils did not achieve as many distinctions as white pupils. It does not help to expect pupils who learn under poor conditions to achieve exceptional results.
The Department of Education should not stand on a high pedestal and blame pupils for their abhorrent performance when the department does not provide enough learning resources to schools.
One cannot expect a child who looks at white pages with black text all day to perform as well as the one
who has access to computers, science labs, educational outings and books.
While the older generation might have performed well despite these challenges, the syllabi of today requires one to have access to as many brain stimulating resources as possible.
Resources aside, teachers play a crucial role in pupils’ levels of development and enthusiasm. The department should reduce the number of teacher traning workshops they conduct every month and instead allocate those funds to the construction of properm school buildings, computers, teachers and learner study material.
An East London school which has performed dismally for years became one of the leading schools between
2000 and 2008 after the department hired a retired teacher to be principal.
The school’s pass rate was 12% before Radu Gambu became principal, but through dedication the school’s pass rate shot up to over 90%.
Soon after Gambu retired in 2008 the results slumped to a disappointing 52%. Surely the department should raise questions. How could a change in leadership affect the performance of the pupils? Does the problem
lie with the parents, the pupils, teachers or the education department? Who is to blame for all this atrocity?
Are we to leave the institutions of higher learning out of this fiasco or are they to blame as well?
The department should start by disciplining teachers, and begin with those who chew gum infront of pupils.
