Disruptions in 2020 could hit matric class of 2021 extra hard

While the 2020 class of matriculants outperformed expectations amid the global pandemic, the 2021 group could face more challenges due to a disrupted Grade 11 year as not only did they lose a term of learning, but attended school on a rotational basis, experts say.

This year’s matric group passed their Grade 11 year without writing examinations but by writing tests and only focusing on fundamental subjects required to continue into the final grade.

While their predecessors passed with an impressive 76.2%, it was because they had the foundation of a normal year in 2019, said education expert Mary Metcalfe.

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Metcalfe says the preceding grades are important for conceptual and skills foundations from the subsequent years.

“However, it is subject specific. Most crucial is mathematics and physical science in terms of content and application of content. In some subjects like history and geography, the National Senior Certificate will examine new topics, but will build in skills relevant to the subject in previous years,” she said.

This year’s matric class however lost nearly a full term of school last year and only returned on a weekly or daily rotational basis.

“The challenges of the pandemic impacting on learners included both loss of time and psychosocial stress including anxieties associated with family and community well-being. The Grade 12 class of 2021 lost not only the lockdown period – returning only on 24 August 2020 – but also alternating attendance daily and weekly.”

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The Grade 11 year is also important for certainty of a tertiary education as those marks are sometimes used for university applications. By June of their matric year, some pupils would know if they have been accepted, said education expert Papama Mnqandi.

“Many of our households don’t offer a conducive environment for learning, reading and practice. The school is often the one place for stability especially for black South Africans to have access for that number of hours. The Grade 11 class of 2020 was in that household dynamic more often than any other class,” he said.

When schools were closed for large parts of last year, inequalities between the haves and have-nots were soon exposed. Many learners across the country were unable to take part in remote learning, said education researcher Professor Nicky Roberts.

“They had Grade 11 disrupted and I am concerned about this cohort. They will have a challenging year in terms of addressing what they missed last year. They didn’t write any Grade 11 exams and most of them have been progressed to matric and have to buckle down  as they lost a lot of teaching time,” Roberts said.

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What about the drop-outs?

More than 120 000 matriculants were assumed to have dropped out in 2020 as they did not sit the examination, but this number could worsen, experts said.

Metcalfe said this was an ongoing problem which occurred when pupils disengage with their schooling.

“My calculation is that 126 534 registered matriculants did not write. Dropping out is a major challenge and it happens when learners disengage.”

But last year’s the drop-out rate could be linked to fears of catching the Covid-19 virus in schools, said Basic Education Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.

“In the past year it could have been because of Covid-19. Some of the learners and the parents said they are not going back to school because they could die. We insisted on schools opening and they were supposed to support us,” Mhlanga said.

The drop out rate could however worsen this year due to a poor economy and job losses which could potentially lead to more pupils leaving school to find work, Mnqandi said.

rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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