To add further to the woes of the state of education in South Africa, our government now proposes a two-year Matric plan. The reason behind this is that some learners are unable to cope with the full curriculum and so providing more time might help them increase their chances of passing. Really! The pass rate has been lowered, the standards dropped, the content watered down to basics and now more time to complete what has always been a year’s curriculum.
Are we really making progress here? More importantly are we really helping those learners who are just not academically inclined? No! All we’re doing is making them feel more and more inadequate. Everyone is not academically ‘gifted’. Some are gifted in other ways. Their contribution to society is just as valuable and having an academic qualification – Matric certificate –is not the only ticket to a successful life.
Should we not consider practical solutions? For one, there should be more schools that cater for vocational training. These schools would provide practical training and experience for these learners. There are academic graduates who are sitting at home with their fancy certificates displayed on a wall but remain unemployed. Why? Because they lack experience and practical skills. Why are we placing emphasis on something that may not be construed useful in the real world? Especially, a Matric certificate that took two years in the making.
