Maths should not be compulsory at technical schools, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Thursday in reaction to their dismal matric results.
Technical schools aimed to produce electricians‚ not electrical engineers, she said.
Technical schools were Gauteng’s three worst performers in the 2016 matric exams.
"The issue of technical schools is a national problem. We have even traveled to France‚ China ... because we want to grow the sector‚" said Motshekga.
"We have picked-up that one of the problems in the technical schools is the curriculum that we set up in the technical schools.
"We have made maths compulsory for all learners. These are the results that we are reaping for putting conditions which are not necessary," she said.
"The curriculum experts and researchers and authorities in this area have been working with us to finalise our technical maths."
At Bokgoni Technical School, in Tshwane, only 59 of the 884 pupils who registered to write matric passed the exams.
At Soshanguve Technical School, 163 pupils sat the exams but only 58 passed, and at Modiri Technical School, in Mamelodi, 63 pupils sat the exams but only 25 passed.
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi promised to visit the affected technical schools immediately to find out where the problems lay. But Motshekga told him the problem had already been identified.
"As you go there‚ tell them that we have picked up that the problem is with the curriculum and we are working with them to sort it out," she said.
Motshekga also dismiss reports that government had adopted a 20% pass rate for certain grades.
"You can’t say 20% is a pass. What we are saying is that if you are not going to do maths in Grade 10, but have qualified in all the other subjects [you can pass].
"We were reverting to the old policy which says if you qualify in all your subjects you don’t necessarily have to pass maths as a condition to go to Grade 10‚" she said.
Check your results here: http://matric.sowetanlive.co.za
TMG Digital
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