NSC results criticism is premature, says education department
The department of education said the criticism takes away from the individual accomplishment of each and every learner that has passed through at least 12 years of schooling.
THE Department of Basic Education has described the discrediting of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) by non-governmental organisation Equal Education as an attempt to gain media exposure even before the announcement of the 2018 Grade 12 results.
In a statement, the department said Equal Education’s stance takes away from the individual accomplishment of each and every learner that has passed through at least 12 years of schooling and worked hard to attain this all important qualification that in many instances is a gateway to a brighter future.
“We view this as nothing more than a grotesque attempt to get media attention, which ultimately speaks to their funding model, on the back of trivialising the NSC results,” department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said in the statement.
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He said the organisation has stooped to an all new low by calling the release of the results a “misleading fanfare”, yet at the same time, they request accreditation from the department to attend the very same event they are seeking to deprecate.
Earlier, the organisation accused the department of having a “narrow preoccupation” with NSC results. The department has denied this, saying this assertion as the organisation’s alone.
“The NSC results is just one of a multitude of events, activities and programmes that speak to improving all areas of the education system. At no point has the department claimed that the NSC is the only barometer with which to measure the system, it has many, this is but one, and it is an important one.
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“As a system it is important to have barometers to evaluate the success of the sector, not only to celebrate when we measure improvements but also to look at where interventions need to be placed to mitigate challenges,” Mhlanga said.
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