“The 2014 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. The CAPS aligned curriculum is yet another experimental gamble with the future of young people,” said Mkhuleko Hlengwa MP, IFP Youth Brigade Chairperson reacting to the release of the 2014 Grade 12 results.
The IFP Youth Brigade (IFPYB) congratulates the Class of 2014 following the ministerial announcement of the matric results today. “As the IFPYB, we thank and wish well all the students who ‘genuinely’ and ‘rightfully’ passed their matric, in their future endeavours. We also thank all the educators and parents for their dedication in assisting the learners do well.” Said Hlengwa. “The allegations of group cheating have cast a dark cloud over these results and heads must roll; all those involved must face the harshest punishment. We must deal with corruption in whatever form it manifests itself.”
He continued; “We are doing our future a major disservice by continuously resisting quality education. Our education system needs a serious overhaul. We must, as a matter of urgency, rise above the fixation of percentages and aspire to achieve a qualitative pass. There is absolutely no stability in the Department of Basic Education particularly in the absence of a fulltime Director General. The department is just tripping from one shortcoming to another.”
“The drop in the results can most certainly be attributed to SADTU; instead of being in class teaching during the year 2014, SADTU members were busy campaigning for the governing party for the elections, leaving learners wanting. SADTU is the bane of our education system. If they are not striking, then they are campaigning but never teaching,” added Hlengwa.
Hlengwa reiterated a persistent reality saying that “We are confronted with a sad situation where the number of matric candidates is always half of those who had started grade 1, twelve years earlier. This speaks to an education system with a poor learner retention capability. The issue of drop-outs must receive urgent attention because it continues to be a major problem, particularly for nation building”.
The IFPYB congratulates the Class of 2014. Education for Economic Freedom.
ISSUED BY:
MKHULEKO HLENGWA MP
IFP Youth Brigade National Chairperson
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