Meticulously matriculated: Limpopo results better than 2013

POLOKWANE – Schools and examination centres in the province bore witness to shrieks of delight, much laughter and even a few tears on Tuesday when the matric results were made public.

Department of basic education spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, said on Monday the Quality Assurance Council declared that the 2014 matric examinations had been free, fair and credible.

Announcing the national results, also on Monday, basic education minister Angie Motshekga also gave a breakdown of how each province, and its districts fared.

The national pass rate was 75,8%, which was 2,4% less than the previous year, she said. Out of eight provinces, Limpopo’s results were the sixth best. However, Limpopo was the only province where none of the examination centres’ exam results were held back.

The provincial pass rate was 72,9% compared to the previous year’s 71,8%. The top province, North West, achieved an 84,6% pass rate compared to its previous result of 87,2%.

Motshekga further said Limpopo’s Vhembe district had achieved the best results in the province with an average of 81,1%.

“Going forward we will work hard to sustain improvement in learner performance, enhance accountability at all levels of the system, focus more on the basic functionality of schools, and protect time for teaching and learning,” she said.

During a ceremony in Polokwane on Tuesday, the province’s top achievers were announced and awarded. It was also noted that three schools in Limpopo received a 0% matric pass rate for 2014.

Speaking at the ceremony, Premier Stanley Mathabatha said he was embarrassed by the dismal performance of the three schools, which were Makidi Secondary School and Sethula Secondary School, both in Sekhukhune, and Seroletshidi Secondary School in Waterberg.

He instructed education MEC, Thembi Nwendamutswu, to reshuffle senior managers in the Sekhukhune and Waterberg districts.

“I was also disappointed by a union leader who was heard on a local radio station saying that Limpopo’s target of an 80% matric pass rate was just a pipe dream. That is an insult to us.

“We set our target high because we are not mediocre. We are improving because in 1994, we were at 30% and now we have reached 72,9%,” Mathabatha said.

Education acting head of department, Martin Mashaba said to improve the matric pass rate, the department planned to give extra lessons to the learners in poor performing schools. “Our intervention is starting now. Curriculum advisors will be going to the relevant circuits to give support,” he said. The two top learners in the province, Johan Krüger (18) and Julia Alsemgeest, both from Hoërskool Pietersburg, each received seven distinctions.