Despite releasing 2009 matric results almost two weeks ago, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has failed to release results for its Dinaledi schools.
While a detailed report on the performance of the Dinaledi schools was only expected in February, the spokesperson for the DBE, Granville Whittle, earlier told ITWeb that results were being collated and would be released on 15 January - a week after national results were published.
However, the results are yet to be made public and the department has since remained mum on the delay.
While the department had increased its expectations for Dinaledi schools, the national matric pass rate decreased and overall pass rates in science, maths, mathematical literacy and accounting dropped. This seemingly points to a failure to meet expectations by the Dinaledi schools.
The national pass rate stands at 60.7%, a 2% decrease from the 62.5% pass rate achieved in 2008.
The Dinaledi schools form part of an initiative by the department to improve the maths and science pass rates in the country, produce over 50 000 passes on higher grade in 2009, and ultimately increase the number of students entering the engineering and ICT fields.
Failing grade
With the introduction of the National Senior Certificate rating policy, a pass in maths and science of 50% and above constitutes a “higher grade” pass. But, despite these policy changes, which lower the pass threshold, the schools still failed to show.
In 2008, the Dinaledi schools accounted for over 50 000 of matriculants writing maths and science exams. According to its 2008 performance report, 54 of the Dinaledi schools had fewer than 20 maths passes, and science passes fell below 2008 targets.
The Dinaledi schools were required to achieve at least 20%, or 10 000, of the national target of 50 000 learners passing high-level maths and science.
The DBE has also been slow to act against underperforming schools. Despite previously threatening to remove underperforming schools from the programme, the department said it would focus on improving resources, and no schools would be added - or culled - from the list of 500 Dinaledi schools.
Motshekga previously noted that while schools focused on maths and science pass rates, more needed to be done. While 54 of the 500 schools within the Dinaledi project underperformed in 2008, the DBE declined to make any decisions on the fate of these schools.
Share
