The 2015 Matric results released this evening by Basic Education Minister speak to a broken education system which is in dire need of an urgent overhaul.
The 2015 Grade 12 results speak to an education system that has collapsed. There is very little to celebrate and we have every reason to be concerned. Our education system needs a total overhaul, we must shake it up and down; turn it inside out but leave it standing
As SADESMO, we thank and wish well all the students who ‘genuinely’ and ‘rightfully’ passed their matric, in their future endeavors. We also thank all the educators and parents for their dedication in assisting the learners do well.
The Minister has failed to monitor or even review employment practices – this should include minimizing or eliminating the observer status of teacher unions during interview processes. This has led to many evils, like putting wrong people into wrong positions because of political association. Bold leadership is needed on the part of the Minister – It is high time she told the public that cadre deployment is killing our education system; and more specifically the Minister must be decisive in dealing SADTU which has become a law unto itself at the peril of education.
Half measures which have up to now been adopted in the professional development of teachers have obviously not borne any educational dividends. One, two or even week-long workshops are woefully inadequate to bring our teachers up to speed. In a changing world the reality of South African schools is that we have failed to keep up with the world; previously disadvantaged schools are presently disadvantaged.
The attention now turns to the Institutions of Higher Education, with a hope that they are ready to receive the Class of 2015 and that President Zuma has manage to source the shortfall resulting from his zero percent fee increment to avoid any chaos or disturbance during the registration process.
All is not well in the State of Education.
For further information:
Sizwe Simelane
SADESMO Secretary-General
073 022 1064
