Mediocracy – The Motto for the Future

Who remembers the good old days where you were waiting for you school report, praying for at least the golden 50% to pass a subject? Things have certainly changed drastically with standards and marks not even being worth writing home about or demolishing another tree to print out a report…

The South African Educational System have once again over the years not failed to astonish not only parents, but caused an outcry announcing that the lowest passing mark on the high school grading scale is a ridiculous mark of 33.3%! That basically would consist of spelling your name and surname correctly and ruling off after each question with a ruler! The ludicrous “standards” unfortunately did not only stop with the 33.3% shocker.

In December 2016, the Department of Education has announced that 20% will be the lowest passing mark for mathematics going forward, but to sugar coat this bitter pill, the Department further announced that this national directive to the lower pass mark comes with “strict conditions.” Now, before we delve into the exceptional “strictness” of the conditions for the pass requirement for grades 7 to 9, let’s just look at the bigger picture of contradiction.

The lowest pass mark for ALL subjects at universities across South Africa is still sitting at a solid 50%. How is the Department of Education empowering learners, as well as teachers who need to lay the foundations, by making high school a walk in the park and still sticking to standards in universities? Learners get lazier and teachers don’t have to go that extra mile anymore since level 10 of Candy Crush is probably a bigger challenge for them to pass than an important subject like mathematics!

Head of Western Cape Education, Brian Schreuder, stated that the Department of Education found that high requirements for specifically mathematics, prevent learners who excel in other areas from advancing to the next grade. “There are learners who are passing all their subjects, six of their seen subjects but failing mathematics. As a consequence, particularly in grade 9, they fail their grade because mathematics has now become a compulsory pass subject,” says Schreuder.

According to this, it will only be those learners who would benefit from the lowered requirement and they will be able to continue into the FET or grade 10, but not be permitted to take mathematics as a subject unless they take mathematics literacy. It is fully understandable as it has always been that mathematics would be compulsory if future plans involved becoming a doctor, engineer or going into any field of science, but why in the world should there be extra pressure put on a pupil whose interest would consist of furthering their career by studying languages?

The lowered pass requirement is a result of the Department of Education compromising for a decision made by them in the first place by making mathematics compulsory. Currently learners have to take four mandatory subjects and only choose three additional subjects of interest to further their education. That makes the pool of choices significantly smaller, thus not empowering learners to work to their full potential. Teachers are also not given the opportunity to help children excel in what they truly love and have passion for.

In all factuality the solution to this problem is very simple – rather do away with maths being a mandatory subject and go back to a method that worked, where learners could choose their subjects from grade 10, preparing them for their future where they have to build a career doing what they love. Allowing a learner to achieve a 20% passing mark for a subject does not make sense in any universe! 33.3% is also not a consolation. Take all subjects back to a pass rate of 50% and send them into the world prepared.

Yes, the matric pass rate might not be a whopping 99.9%, but to be completely honest, what is there to be proud of to say South Africa has a 100% matric pass rate with standards such as 20% and 33.3%? Quality always outweighs quantity. Wake up main peanuts in the Department of Education packet! Give learners and teachers the opportunity to harvest energy into their futures, hopes and dreams and not a compulsory decision made without thinking about the consequences!