LETTER: Our education system just soldiered on during Covid-19
The hope is that Umalusi has taken decisions in the best interest of pupils
10 January 2023 - 15:38
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It is that time of the year when the nation anticipates the release of matric results. These will be the results of the class that was worst affected by one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, Covid-19.
Many education systems around the world came to a halt due to Covid-19, but ours — perceived by many to be fragile — soldiered on, with learner numbers increasing from 12-million to 13-million over the past three years.
In implementing the resolution of the ANC that there should be one examinations council for the entire schooling system, the education minister could start from this year including the results from all assessment bodies, also the Independent Examinations Board and the SA Comprehensive Assessment Institute, instead of these small and elite assessment bodies releasing their own results. This would assert the minister’s role as the ultimate authority in the schooling system.
We now have the benefit of hindsight on how Umalusi’s decisions were made during the standardisation of the grade 12 results for the 2020 and 2021 classes. I am on record demonstrating how Umalusi lost the opportunity to demonstrate its value, relevance and effectiveness to South Africans in terms of the class of 2020. The decisions regarding the class of 2021 were much more favourable than for the class of 2020, even though it was far more deserving than the class of 2021.
As already indicated, the class of 2022 took the brunt of Covid-19, and learners were also hard hit by load-shedding. To cap it all, the error in the second mathematics paper complicated the situation for this class.
I hope that this time around when the decisions of Umalusi and the results of the 2022 class become public they will indicate that Umalusi has taken decisions that are in the best interests of the learners.
Panyaza Lesufi Gauteng premier, writing as an education activist
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Our education system just soldiered on during Covid-19
The hope is that Umalusi has taken decisions in the best interest of pupils
It is that time of the year when the nation anticipates the release of matric results. These will be the results of the class that was worst affected by one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, Covid-19.
Many education systems around the world came to a halt due to Covid-19, but ours — perceived by many to be fragile — soldiered on, with learner numbers increasing from 12-million to 13-million over the past three years.
In implementing the resolution of the ANC that there should be one examinations council for the entire schooling system, the education minister could start from this year including the results from all assessment bodies, also the Independent Examinations Board and the SA Comprehensive Assessment Institute, instead of these small and elite assessment bodies releasing their own results. This would assert the minister’s role as the ultimate authority in the schooling system.
We now have the benefit of hindsight on how Umalusi’s decisions were made during the standardisation of the grade 12 results for the 2020 and 2021 classes. I am on record demonstrating how Umalusi lost the opportunity to demonstrate its value, relevance and effectiveness to South Africans in terms of the class of 2020. The decisions regarding the class of 2021 were much more favourable than for the class of 2020, even though it was far more deserving than the class of 2021.
As already indicated, the class of 2022 took the brunt of Covid-19, and learners were also hard hit by load-shedding. To cap it all, the error in the second mathematics paper complicated the situation for this class.
I hope that this time around when the decisions of Umalusi and the results of the 2022 class become public they will indicate that Umalusi has taken decisions that are in the best interests of the learners.
Panyaza Lesufi
Gauteng premier, writing as an education activist
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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