Dinaledi results show up

The much-anticipated Dinaledi results for the 2009 National Senior Certificate Examinations (NSCE) have finally been released, and show that performance has dropped when compared to 2008 results. But this may not be a cause for concern, say analysts.

Although there had been many fruitless calls by the DA and other bodies for the detailed Dinaledi schools results report since the release of the national matric results, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) claims the report had been completed in January.

ITWeb has been attempting to obtain the results since the beginning of this year, but was repeatedly told the report was not ready. The DBE's delay in releasing the results eventually led observers to question whether government may be holding back the report, as the Dinaledi project was a complete failure.

“I'm not sure if it was ever actually publicly released, but there were presentations to several forums,” says DBE spokesman Granville Whittle.

The national matric pass rate stands at 60.7%, a 2% decrease from the 62.5% pass rate achieved in 2008. Overall, pass rates in science, maths, mathematical literacy and accounting dropped.

Despite this lapse in performance, the DBE is pleased with the situation. “The department has seen good progress with the overall performance of schools,” says Whittle, adding that 28 789 learners passed mathematics in Dinaledi schools.

Professor and education analyst at University of Pretoria's faculty of education Kobus Maree says these drops should not necessarily be cause for concern. “We are not seeing massive drops, although they are educationally significant. We don't have sufficient evidence to say the project is failing. We can't say this is a trend.”

In a detailed performance report, the DBE shows the number of students enrolled for maths and physics in Dinaledi schools in 2009 declined from the total number in 2008.

In 2008, 53 469 students enrolled for mathematics nationally and in 2009, this decreased to 50 921. Physics enrolments decreased from 40 379 in 2008 to 39 445.

The differences may not seem too drastic, but may present a fail for the Dinaledi schools project's aim to ultimately increase the number of students entering the engineering and ICT fields. With specific maths and science focuses on these schools, the uptake of these subjects is expected to be higher.

Education specialist with the Development Bank of Southern Africa Graeme Bloch says: “In theory, if you increase focus on and resources for certain schools, they should be performing better, and if they're not we need to know what the problem is. If achievement is not happening, why is it not happening?”

The project is expected to improve maths and science pass rates, since this is one of its primary goals, specifically to increase passes on higher grade, but the government report shows otherwise.

In 2007, the total number of Dinaledi students passing maths on the higher grade (with 50% and higher) was 6 089. This number more than doubled in 2008, with15 051 students achieving this. This improvement in the higher grade passes is one of the aims of the project.

However, this goal was not met in 2009, when the figures decreased and only 12 213 Dinaledi students passed maths on the higher grade, according to the report.

Maree says results can come up and then go down. “It has a fickle nature. We can't look too deep into it. We can't say it's a trend.”

The department points out that the 2009 pass rate, as a percentage (23.9%) of the total number of higher grade passes nationally, is similar to 2008, with the percentage then being 24%. The difference in figures can be attributed to the drop in enrolment.

There is also a significant drop in the physics passes at higher grade for the NSCE. In 2008, this figure stood at 8 289 higher grade passes for Dinaledi schools, and in 2009 dropped to 5 188. Here the percentage of total higher grade physics passes nationally, which was 30 975 in 2008 and 22 262 in 2009, is lowered by 4%.

The number of Dinaledi schools with a large number of students passing maths and physics also dropped, as a result of the decrease in performance, according to the report.

In 2008, there were 76 schools that had over 100 students passing maths and 192 schools with 50-99 passes. In 2009, these figures dropped to 67 schools with over 100 passes and 168 schools with 50-99 passes.

For physics there were 53 schools with over 100 learners passing in 2008 and this dropped to 15 in 2009. The next category, 50-99 passes, also dropped from 186 to108 schools.

In terms of higher grade passes, there were just five schools that had over 100 students at this level for physics in 2008 and this dropped to two schools in 2009.

Maree says poorly performing schools need to learn from the top-achieving schools, even if they are not part of the Dinaledi project. “They need to model their behaviour. They will find that parents are more involved, teachers are dedicated and highly trained and learners are motivated. Why do some of these learners sit with mathematics on a Saturday or a Sunday? They need to find out why.”

He adds that linear thinking must be abolished. “We have to have a holistic perspective. Just investing more money won't work. We can't say more money will equal better teachers and thus better results. It won't work.”

“This report has demonstrated that the number of learners who wrote mathematics in 2009 was lower compared to 2008. However, the contribution of Dinaledi schools has been consistent year-on-year. The report has also shown that performance in physical science in 2009 has been lower than in 2008. This requires attention and support. The department will develop plans to strengthen the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in Dinaledi schools,” says the DBE.

Although poorly performing schools were removed from the project in 2007, the department now says no schools would be added - or culled - from the list of 500 Dinaledi schools, but instead a focus would be placed on improving resources.

“We had a dismal matric performance. We all know what the challenges of the system are,” says Whittle.

He adds that the DBE is in the process of evaluating the trends of performance in the Dinaledi schools, which have been given a target of improving their results in 2010, compared to 2009.

“In this regard, the schools will be supported through the supply of learning and teaching support materials (LTSM), teacher training in mathematics and science on subject content knowledge, providing opportunities for learners to enter the mathematics Olympiads and addition supplementary tuition for learners,” says Whittle.

Maree says the way to find the solutions is to conduct thorough research.

“They [DBE] need to take random samples from these Dinaledi schools and look at the stakeholders. There are so many stakeholders and they need to talk to them. Speak to the kids, the teachers, HODs and principals.”

He says what is happening in the classrooms is vitally important. Whether learners understand the language medium, know how to study or have any mathematics anxieties, needs to be discovered.

“The learners themselves will point out the problems that they're having. Whether the school is too big or there's too much noise or they're being spoon-fed; whatever it may be, let's find out how the kids feel.”

Click here to see the tables