January 4, 2006
By Lucille Davie
While Gauteng's 2005 matric pass rates show a small decline, results by girls across the province show them to be working hard, particularly in subjects like science and maths.
The top learner in the province comes from Johannesburg - Jana de Lange attended Hoërskool Florida.
The province's pass rate was 74,9 percent, a drop of 1,8 percent from 2004. But, in a statement last week, Gauteng MEC for education, Angie Motshekga, said she was not disappointed with the results, as there were other improvements.
" We have again improved in quality matters such as universal access to education, gender equity, performance in gateway subjects, more and more learners sitting for higher grade subjects and also more of them getting matric endorsements."
In 2005 136 882 Gauteng learners wrote matric compared to 130 966 in 2004, an increase of 8,58 percent. This indicated, said Motshekga, that the "policies that promote access to education are indeed yielding dividends" and that "the doors of learning and teaching are indeed continuously opening".
Motshekga said that girls not only performed well but excelled in matric. The top learner in the province is a girl, and the learner who achieved 100 percent in both maths and science is a girl. In addition, a girls-only school achieved the best results in the province.
De Lange is the province's top learner and Mavis Duduzile Nhlapo from Esokwazi Secondary in Sebokeng is the top learner in maths and science.
"Our girls are taking their rightful place in society as equals with their male counterparts," said Motshekga.
The region with the highest pass rate was Tshwane South (Atteridgeville, Mamelodi and Pretoria CBD) with a pass rate of 86.02 percent.
Motshekga said the top schools - with a 100 percent pass rate - included Pretoria High School for Girls, Hoërskool Menlo Park, Northcliff High School, Glen Vista High School, Krugersdorp High School and Bryanston High School. In total 59 schools produced a 100 percent pass rate. Some 158 schools produced symbols ranging between 90 and 99 percent.
Gauteng learners produced 11 509 distinctions in 2005, an increase of 9,78 percent on the 10 484 distinctions in 2004. Matric endorsements (university entrance) in 2005 totalled 16 114, compared to 15 774 in 2004.
The number of girls who wrote physical science higher grade went up by 2,72 percent or 277. Of these, 8,64 percent obtained distinctions in the subject, compared to 7,51 percent of boys.
The number of girls who wrote physical science standard grade increased by 22,35 percent or 1 907, with 0,33 percent obtaining distinctions compared to 0,30 percent of boys. The gap in enrolment between girls and boys doing physical science narrowed in 2005.
The number of girls who wrote maths - both higher and standard grade - was 26 437, compared to 23 813 boys. The proportion of girls who obtained an A symbol in maths higher grade was 13,38 percent, in comparison to 12,74 percent for the boys. Overall, this means that the gap between boys and girls in maths increased by 33,82 percent, in favour of the girls.
The number of girls who wrote maths standard grade increased by 14,29 percent, or 2 756. In total, 3 755 girls obtained an A in maths standard grade.
Motshekga also mentioned the 10 worst-performing schools, with pass rates results ranging from zero to 20 percent. One of these schools, Altem Secondary School in Soweto, has been closed.
With the practical, oral and continuous assessment components, and thorough moderation processes through the Council for Quality Assurance in Education and Training, the "examination process in the province was fair, valid and reliable", Motshekga said.
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