By Gugu Mgwebi

Poor matric results for 2008 in many provinces have re-energised the debate on whether or not the Outcomes Based Education (OBE) system has been appropriately implemented across the country.

The Department of Education faces major criticism regarding OBE due to the irregularities faced in processing the results as well as the provincial pass rates. Initially, the OBE system was introduced by the ANC government in 1997 in an attempt to transform the fragmented education system inherited from Apartheid South Africa. The class of 2008 was the first OBE matriculants.

Five provinces achieved a pass rate above the national average namely Gauteng (76%), North West (69%), Free State (71.8%), Western Cape (78%) and Northern Cape (72%). However, the remaining four provinces being, the Eastern Cape (50%), KwaZulu Natal (58%), Limpopo (54%) and Mpumalanga (51.8%) obtained results below the national average.

It was reported that “56 000 pupils had not received their results due to technical glitches and provinces not handing in their class marks” (The Star, 31 December, 2008). The dismal results in some regions have become a source of great anxiety to parents and educators and questions are being asked regarding teachers’ diligence and that of the Department of Education officials.

The pattern of skewed performance in different regions appears to confirm assertions that the OBE system was designed in a manner that accommodates traditionally advantaged schools, especially bearing in mind that OBE is an imported education system, widely used in developed countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. This highlights a problematic contradiction in a country like South Africa where many areas are rural and steeped in poverty with very few resources.

Reflections of such contrasts are best exemplified in the Eastern Cape which is one of the poorest provinces and historically, one of the worst performing provinces. Research has shown that educational achievement is linked inextricably to resources and that even surroundings such as buildings make a difference to the quality of learning experience enjoyed by children.

Debates around ‘leveling the playing fields’ under the new education system have been persistent but implementation of the same has been lacking.

“Seen side by side, the two (sets of) figures proved that the inequalities of the past persist because students from better resourced schools were better able to adapt to the OBE programme” (Reddy Vijay, Human Science Research Council). Further critical comments were made by University of the Western Cape’s Rector, Brian O’Connell, who remarked that: “we have no leadership in (some) schools and we have no quality control”.

Eastern Cape Premier, Mbulelo Sogoni during the Matric Exam announcement ceremony held in East London, also registered his disappointment with the results lamenting that as the Eastern Cape “we do not deserve to be last all the time“. He pointed out that there is a need to do proper planning and resource deployment for effective teaching and learning.

Meanwhile the Eastern Cape Education MEC Mahlubandile Qwase highlighted the challenges particularly faced by the province in trying to transform education here as follows:

• The capacity of teachers to translate the policy and methodology to make an impact and succeed;
• Lack of considerable resources (human, financial and material) needed to maintain and transform the education sector;
• Neglected education infrastructure;
• Lack of service delivery in schools (schools without sanitation and water);
• High levels of poverty in the communities (hungry children cannot concentrate, learn and compete with better nourished children);
• Lack of adequate dietary provision;
• Prevalent historic structural weaknesses; and
• Inadequate culture of learning and teaching in schools.

Measures aimed at transforming education in the Eastern Cape include the Teacher Training Programme which is implemented during school holidays as part of the Premier’s Turnaround Plan Initiative; the expansion of the School Nutrition Scheme to all learners who are in need; offering and improving the support of teachers within the classroom; the appointment of Subject Planners and advisors at Head Office, as well as Education Development Officers in the districts.

Improvement of learners’ results has been extended from all grades including ABET and FET Colleges with a comprehensive Learner Attainment Improvement Strategy (LAIS). Nationally, the Foundation for Learning campaign recently launched by Education Minister, Naledi Pandor, primarily focuses on laying the foundations of basic reading, writing and numeracy skills. Assessment of the progress of primary school learners will be done and in the process an introduction of the General Education Certificate at the end of grade 9 will further be implemented.

Some of the DoE’s achievements in the Eastern Cape included:

• The province has experienced no leakage of question papers in the past eleven years;
• The Learner Support Programme included attendance on Saturday, Winter and Spring school;
• Study mates/guides and example question papers have been distributed via 23 district offices;
• Involvement in a special project in partnership with READ (Support to English First Additional Language teaching);
• Radio talks and lessons on Umhlobo Wenene, Tru Fm and Unitra Community Radio up until the last paper was written;
• School governing bodies have been responsible for the supervision of afternoon study periods; and
• A student from a historically disadvantaged school made it to the top three Provincial Overall Achievers (for the first time).

References

• www.ecdoe.gov.za
• www.polity.org.za
• Daily Dispatch (30 December 2008) Eastern Cape MEC speech
• The Star, (December 31 2008) Matric Pass Rate Pathetic

The Transformer Vol. 15 No. 1 / February - March 2009