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7 Jan 2010

Program director
Honourable Premier of the Free State province, Mr Ace Magashule
Fellow Members of the Executive Council
Members of the provincial legislature
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Education
Executive Mayor of the Mangaung local municipality
Honourable mayors from our district and local municipalities
Director-General, Dr Nwaila
Superintendent-General for Education Mr Malope
Heads of departments present
Members of the Strategic Management and Leadership Committee of the Free State Department of Education
Members of senior and broad management
Departmental officials
Members of education boards and councils
Representatives of unions
Representatives of school governing bodies associations
Representatives of our partners in the private sector
Principals
Educators
Parents
Learners
Members of the media
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

In the state of the nation address President Jacob Zuma told the Joint Sitting of Parliament that: “Education will be a key priority for the next five years. We want our teachers, learners and parents to work together with government to turn our schools into thriving centres of excellence”.

Education, ladies and gentlemen is a mean of promoting good citizenship as well preparing our people for the need of modern economy and democratic society. Building on the achievement we made since the dawn of democracy the ANC government will ensure progressive realisation of universal schooling, improving quality and eliminating disparities. To achieve this strategic objective we need to work together with education stakeholders to make education the priority for all.

We need ladies and gentlemen, as stated in our election manifesto to promote the status of our educators, embarking on whirlwind crusade to recruit young people into the noble profession of teaching. And this will require that we improve their remuneration and training. In our quest to ensure that quality teaching becomes the norm, rather than the exception, we will work together with trade unions to ensure that teachers are in class, on time teaching, with no neglect of duty and no abuse of learners. The learners should be in class, on time, learning, be respectful of their teachers and each other and do their homework.

We call on parents and other stakeholders to also play their respective roles in reaching this goal. In line with the above the department will next month launch the Quality Learning and Teaching campaign. This will be the advocacy crusade that will include all major stakeholders, including principals, teachers unions, student formations, parents and community organisations to ensure Free State schools become centres of excellence.

Programme director, our results have dropped by 2.4 percent from the 71.8 percent we attained in 2008, to 69.38 percent in 2009, much against our target of 75 percent. However, it is important to note these results are made up of raw a mark; that is the exact mark of the learners. What you get in these results is the true reflection of the performance of the learners. Adjustment either up or down was down in very few subjects. This is despite various intervention programmes such provincial strategy on learner attainment to uplift and support underperforming and struggling schools to sustain excellent performance. Although the shift is marginal is also very depressing.

Despite praiseworthy performance by number of schools, it is only fair that in the perennial under forming schools, we call upon those entrusted with educating our learners to account. What is surprising is that schools from the same area, same quintile one school is performing consistently well while the other will turn out to be a serial underperformer.

We are now, as the department, going straight to where the problem might be; in the management of the school. The principals of those perennial underperforming schools will have to be charged and called to account. By end of March this process of accounting must be finished. The department is not here to make excuses for underperformers, but rather to praise and celebrate excellence performance. This function bears witness to that.

As the department respecting the laws of the country including labour laws, we will take all stakeholders on board. In the past, the department had various programmes, where good principals used to mentor their counterparts in under forming schools. When these mentors were removed, the performance just dropped.
Why? What could be the reasons for this? Leadership, leadership and leadership.
This should not overshadow the good performance we are celebrating today.

Next week we will meet as senior management of the department to reflect on these results, and to chart a way forward. This will include reviewing our provincial Strategy on learner attainment. It is well known that well managed schools that have full stakeholder participation are the most successful. Further, it is an established fact that districts that have able professionals who support schools with accurate information on the curriculum, and who provide informed curriculum workshops and support materials, assist schools to excel.

At this stage program director, I would like to acknowledge the following partners who generously sponsored this function and we take this opportunity to urge more donors to come on board:

* Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA)
* First National Bank (FNB)
* Interstate
* Standard Bank
* Nedbank
* Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB)
* Ernest and Young
* Maskew Miller Longman
* Vodacom
* Macmillan
* MTN
* Central University of Technology (CUT)
* Whiphold

Honourable Premier, the allegations that some mathematics, physics and accountancy question papers were tampered with in one of the provinces nearly destabilised grade 12 learners nationally, especially because of the problems they reportedly encountered with the contingency question papers they had to write as a result. Incidents like these are pushing our education system backwards, and I would like to appeal to our officials at all levels to behave ethically and patriotically, for the sake of progress in the transformation of our education system.

However, honourable Premier, I am happy to report that despite the aforementioned hiccups and the setback we have sustained, it is both an honour and privilege for me to present our 2009 national senior certificate provincial results. No major obstacles and or irregularities were reported from all centres during the course of the examinations, thanks to our pre-planned monitoring and security measures.

Having said that Honourable Premier, allow me to officially announce the Free State Department of Education’s 2009 grade 12 results. Umalusi; the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training verified and declared our results as reliable, credible and fair.

I now present key statistics for the 2009 national senior certificate examination results:

Number of Candidates in 2009

Number of candidates who wrote: 29 808
Number of candidates who passed: 20 680 (69.4 percent)
Number of candidates with admission to higher certificate: 5 912 (19.83 percent)
Number of candidates with admission to diploma: 8 691 (29.16 percent)
Number of candidates with admission to bachelor’s degree: 6 030 (20.23 percent)
Number of candidates who failed: 9 117 (30.6 percent)

When we further disaggregate the figures, we arrive at the following pass percentages for each of the five districts:
District statistics: 2009

Fezile Dabi: 69.62 percent
Lejweleputswa: 69.03 percent
Motheo: 71.84 percent
Thabo Mofutsanyane: 66 percent
Xhariep: 74.16 percent

Although we are putting greater emphasis on participation rates, I should also like to congratulate the 38 schools in the province that obtained a 100 percent pass rate. This reflects an increase of one percent more than in 2008.

Schools with 100 percent pass rate:

Xhariep: four
Motheo: one
Lejweleputswa six:
Thabo Mofutsanyane: six
Fezile Dabi: 11
Total number of schools with 100 percent pass rate: 38

* Xhariep: Zastron High, Jacobsdal Landbouskool, Koffiefontein High and Pellisier Combined
* Motheo: Grey College, Eunice High, Jim Fouche, Fichardtpark, Sentraal High School, Oranje Meisie Skool, Dr Viljoen, St Michael’s High, St Andrew’s High, CBD and Rosenhof
* Lejweleputswa: Sandveld High, Boshof Combined, Hoopstad Combined, Staatspresident Swart Combined, Bultfontein Combined and Hennenman High
* Thabo Mofutsanyane: Wittenberg High, Paul Erasmus, Voortrekker High, New Horizon, Ficksburg Combined and Reitz Combined
* Fezile Dabi: Sasolburg High, Kroonstad High, Villiers Combined, Wilgerivier Combined, Afrikaanse High, Salomon Senekal Combined and Nampo Agric school, Niekerkus.

This is a great achievement, especially for those schools that are located in rural and disadvantaged areas. With the release of the 2009 national senior certificate results, we are also very pleased to announce considerable gains in relation to schools that have made significant improvements in their pass rates. The picture in relation to the districts is as follows:

* Xhariep
2008
Panorama: 38.89 percent
Reikaeletse: 87.50 percent
Increase in performance: 48.61 percent

2009
Panorama: 36.89 percent
Reikaeletse: 83.33 percent
Increase in performance: 46.84 percent

* Thabo Mofutsanyane
2008
Sebonakaliso: 43.33 percent
Moriting wa Thuto: 26.44 percent
Sasamala: 48.90 percent
Rantsane: 51.46 percent
Maanankoe: 59.18 percent
MJ Mohlahli: 40.78 percnet
Thabo-Thokoza: 52.06 percent
Iphondle: 52.78 percent
Ikaheng-Zakheni: 50.94 percent
Nthabiseng: 50 percent
Leifo-Iziko: 57.14 percent
Phofung: 58.59 percent

2009
Sebonakaliso: 91.30 percent
Moriting wa Thuto: 63.51 percent
Sasamala: 40 percent
Rantsane: 80 percent
Maanankoe: 83.33 percent
MJ Mohlahli: 64.71 percent
Thabo-Thokoza: 72.73 percent
Iphondle: 66.67 percent
Ikaheng-Zakheni: 61.54 percent
Nthabiseng: 60 percent
Leifo-Iziko: 64.95 percent
Phofung: 63.64 percent

Increase in performance
Sebonakaliso: 47.97 percent
Moriting wa Thuto: 37.07 percent
Sasamala: 31.10 percent
Rantsane: 28.54 percent
Maanankoe: 24.15 percent
MJ Mohlahli: 23.93 percent
Thabo-Thokoza: 20.67 percent
Iphondle: 13.89 percent
Ikaheng-Zakheni: 10 percent
Nthabiseng: 10 percent
Leifo-Iziko: 7.81 percent
Phofung: 4.95 percent

* Motheo
2008
Comtech: 47.11 percent
Christian Liphoko: 48.24 percent
Sehlabeng: 54.44 percent
Strydom: 52.80 percent
Phetogane: 59.85 percent

2009
Comtech: 84.04 percent
Christian Liphoko: 76.19 percent
Sehlabeng: 68.04 percent
Strydom: 62.71 percent
Phetogane: 65.55 percent

Increase in performance
Comtech: 36.93 percent
Christian Liphoko: 27.95 percent
Sehlabeng: 13.60 percent
Strydom: 6.91 percent
Phetogane: 5.70 percent

* Lejweleputswa
2008
Welkom Secondary: 23.23 percent
Thotagauta: 36.61 percent
Senzile: 40.63 percent
Leseding: 55.08 percent
Lekgarietse: 57.14 percent

2009
Welkom Secondary: 74 percent
Thotagauta: 80.70 percent
Senzile: 82.35 percent
Leseding: 75.34 percent
Lekgarietse: 60.81 percent

Increase in performance
Welkom Secondary: 50.77 percent
Thotagauta: 45.09 percent
Senzile: 41.72 percent
Leseding: 20.26 percent
Lekgarietse: 3.67 percent

* Fezile Dabi
2008
Niekerkskrus: 50 percent
Phiritona: 53.72 percent
Refeng Thabo: 49.28 percent
Thabang: 34.01 percent
Iketsetseng Comp: 48.40 percent
Falesizwe: 51.97 percent
Brentpark: 43.33 percent
Kahobotjha-Sakhubusha: 54.55 percent
Kwakwatsi: 51.49 percent

2009
Niekerkskrus: 100 percent
Phiritona: 85.71 percent
Refeng Thabo: 78.13 percent
Thabang: 60.81 percent
Iketsetseng Comp: 72.17 percent
Falesizwe: 74.75 percent
Brentpark: 64.44 percent
Kahobotjha-Sakhubusha: 75.44 percent
Kwakwatsi: 61.97 percent

Increase in performance
Niekerkskrus: 50 percent
Phiritona: 31.99 percent
Refeng Thabo: 28.85 percent
Thabang: 26.80 percent
Iketsetseng Comp: 23.77 percent
Falesizwe: 22.78 percent
Brentpark: 21.11 percent
Kahobotjha-Sakhubusha: 20.89 percent
Kwakwatsi: 10.48 percent

Program director, the new national senior certificate provides an opportunity to unsuccessful learners to register for supplementary examinations to be administered during the course of February 2009. Such learners are also encouraged to apply for remarking and at the same time register for the supplementary examinations by 22 January 2010. More information will be available at schools upon re-opening from 13 January 2010.

I would also like to appeal to all schools to readmit learners who would like to repeat grade 12 in 2010. As a system, we cannot afford to turn backs on such learners. We must give them a second chance to attain the national senior certificate.

Program director, as I pointed out earlier, our pass rate in 2009 stands at 69.38,percent in contrast to 71.8 percent in 2008. We are disappointed as a result. However, we remain committed to support all our schools for continuous improvement in learner attainment. More importantly, we have noted the number of schools that continue to under perform despite all the support provided by the department.

This situation can no longer be tolerated. It is however pleasing, to see that despite the setback we have sustained, there are learners who performed exceptionally well in languages, mathematics, physical science and accounting.
Most of these top achievers are from previously disadvantaged schools, some of which have no suitable technical and library facilities. This shows dedication and willingness to work hard both by these learners and their educators.

I would like to call on stage the following learners who did exceptionally well in mathematics and physical science respectively, and are both from previously disadvantaged schools. They are:

* Paseka Mabina from Lenyora la Thuto Secondary School (mathematics) and
* Moleko Motshweneng from Mampoi Secondary School (mathematics and physical science)

I wish to thank parents, guardians, teachers, principals, governing body members, and departmental officials for their contribution towards the achievements of our grade 12 class of 2009, despite the setback we have sustained.

Honourable Premier, the 2009 results prompt us to vigorously go back to the basics, to produce quality education. I know that everybody is already gearing up towards that goal. Ladies and gentlemen, now is the time for the Honourable Premier to give us a key note address. Will everybody please stand up to welcome the Premier? Honourable Premier will you please address us.

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Education, Free State Provincial Government
7 January 2010
Source: Department of Education, Free State Provincial Government (http://www.fsdoe.fs.gov.za/)

Issued by: Free State Education
7 Jan 2010

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