The Eastern Cape Department of Education held a 2010 Fifa World Cup Teaching and Learning campaign
during the school holidays.
The Eastern Cape Department of Education held a 2010 Fifa World Cup Teaching and Learning campaign
during the school holidays.
In an attempt to boost the poor matric pass rate in the province, the Department introduced a winter school programme running from 14 to 30 June.
According to Malibongwe Mtima, the communications officer at the department, only 40% of the Makana district pupils attended the programme.
The programme was hosted by Nombulelo Secondary School in Joza which was the only centre in the district. All the other Grade 12 pupils from schools in the area had to attend their classes there.
“Everything was provided for, includes transport, catering and learning material I don’t know why the pupils showed no interest in their future,” said a reliable source who did not want to be named.
In 2009 Benjamin Mahlasela was the only school in Grahamstown East that showed rapid improvement obtaining a 100% pass rate.
This is particularly remarkable seing as there were only seven pupils in the class and the pass rate was only 14.8% in 2008.
Last year the Eastern Cape achieved a 50% pass rate in total. In the previous year, Grahamstown schools dropped from 66.6% in 2008 to a 57.3% pass rate which is a 9.3% drop with most schools from the Grahamstown East bringing the figure down.
Luyanda Ntulini, a Grade 12 pupil at Nombulelo High School said “I did attend some of the classes but found them boring and could not understand the lessons because they are taught by the same people that teach them at school, at least they should have made change and bring in teachers from elsewhere maybe we were going to understand the subjects better.”
As a result of poor attendance the Nombulelo centre finished a week before the official closing date.
