When reading that our Department of Basic Education is mulling the idea of lowering the passing grade for maths and home languages, two faces jumped to mind. The one was a crying Steve Biko and the other a laughing Hendrik Verwoerd. Why is it that everything must be lowered in our country today? From the economy, our investment status, university fees, colonial buildings, statues, and now also passing grades for maths. Did it not cross the experts’ minds to rather increase the pass mark for maths in the FET phase (grades 10-12). This would ensure that our scientists and engineers of tomorrow are world leaders and not followers. Does the department not know that almost every country on this planet is repositioning its education system with a special emphasis on science, technology, engineering and maths? Does it properly prepare pupils for a (very near) robotic future? I can assure you that this is the greatest worry of parents in first world countries. Why the crying and laughing fa...
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