- Local forums have expressed mixed feelings about the 2023 matric results released by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga.
- Khayelitsha Education Forum and Gugulethu Development Forum highlighted social ills and lack of resources at schools as having a great impact on the results.
- The results were released on Friday 19 January.
Local forums have expressed mixed feelings about the 2023 matric results released by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga on Friday 19 January.
Two forums highlighted social ills and lack of resources at schools as having a great impact on the results.
Khayelitsha Education Forum (KEF) secretary Mthetho Haido praised the learners for doing great work. He stated that almost all Khayelitsha high schools have improved their results.
“We are satisfied with the results even though there is still room for improvement in other schools. Most of them achieved our mandate of reaching 80%. At least 14 out of 20 high schools are above 80%. And four of them are above 70% and only Mathew Goniwe and Sinako high schools who are 69.3% and 67% respectively,” said Haido.
He said the learners managed to succeed under difficult circumstances they were studying under. Haido highlighted the lack of resources and vandalism to other schools as a major problem.
“Many schools don’t have libraries and laboratories. Some of them had computer labs but their computers were stolen by criminals. Other schools don’t have fences because they were stolen,” he explained, adding that load shedding negatively impacted their studies.
Haido urged the department to strengthen the security at schools by hiring security guards and installing cameras.
However, Gugulethu Development Forum secretary Vincent Domingo is not impressed with the results. He says a lot that needs to be done for the schools to improve. He says almost all the schools in the area have had lower success.
“Looking at last year’s matric results, nothing is amusing. Only Fezeka High School has improved this year from 56,3% in 2022 to 67,9%. In 2022 Intshukumo Secondary School had a pass rate of 76,1%, but last year received 72,1%, ID Mkhize Secondary School was 74,4% in 2022 and last year got 73,7%. While Sithembele Matiso Secondary School in 2022 was received 88,7% and now got 83,7%. The numbers are lowering,” said Domingo. He stated they will have a special meeting with the school heads to figure out the problem.
He said they could not fold their arms as if nothing happened.
“As GDF we will try by all means to support our teachers. We cannot turn our backs on them when we are needed the most. We are appealing to other community stakeholders to come on board and save our schools,” he said.
Domingo cited the escalating crime in the area as one of the reasons schools achieved “poor results”.
He said Gugulethu has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. “The crime is getting out of hand now. People are killing each other left, right and centre. And our children are traumatised. It is something new in the area. We used to hear about shootings in other areas,” said Domingo.
However, he urged those who didn’t make it to never give up and continue fighting.
