By Johnathan Paoli
A new report from the Stellenbosch University has underscored concerning challenges behind the recent matric exams, including grade promotion leniency, failure in mastering foundational skills and uneven learner development.
The Research on Socioeconomic Policy study, authored by Servaas van der Berg, Chris van Wyk and Martin Gustafsson, offers an analysis of the education system, revealing that while the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted learning and influenced promotion policies, the long-term effects could be detrimental.
“The report highlights how policy decisions, systemic challenges and learning disruptions, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, have shaped educational outcomes,” the report states.
During the pandemic, the report found that leniency in grade promotion was implemented to counteract learning disruptions caused by school closures.
While reducing grade repetition and increasing matric pass rates, it also led to unintended consequences.
By 2022, matric pass rates were 21% higher than pre-pandemic projections; however, the data suggests that three-quarters of this increase resulted from policy changes rather than actual academic improvement.
Learners, particularly in no-fee schools and poorer provinces, advanced without fully mastering foundational skills, creating significant learning gaps in key transition years, such as Grade 4 and Grade 10.
The report also examined the implications of early entry into Grade 1.
South African policy allows learners to start Grade 1 after turning five-and-a-half-years old, but application of this rule varies widely across provinces.
In wealthier provinces and quintile 5 schools, stricter adherence to a calendar-year rule ensures that children start school closer to age six.
However, in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, higher numbers of younger learners enter Grade 1, leading to increased repetition rates, particularly among boys who may not be developmentally ready.
Grade 4 represents another critical transition, as it marks the shift from instruction in the Home Language to English as the primary language of learning.
The report confirmed that learners with poor Grade 3 Home Language proficiency are more likely to struggle in Grade 4, leading to higher repetition rates and weaker performance.
Boys are disproportionately affected by these challenges, further widening gender disparities in learning outcomes.
Subject selection in the Further Education and Training phase (Grades 10–12) plays a pivotal role in shaping learners’ future career opportunities, with the choice between Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy particularly consequential.
While Mathematics is a prerequisite for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and commerce-related university programmes, many learners, especially in underprivileged schools, opt for Mathematical Literacy to improve their pass rates.
The report highlights the urgent need to strengthen early-grade mathematics instruction to better prepare learners for high school and beyond.
It provides new insights into teacher deployment patterns using South African School Administration and Management System data from six provinces, examining two key aspects.
The “learner-following” approach in Foundation Phase (Grades 1–3), referring to the practice of a teacher following the same learners across multiple grades, with evidence suggesting that this strategy can reduce grade repetition and improve learning continuity.
On teacher specialisation in the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4–7), the report finds that school size strongly influences subject specialisation, with smaller schools offering fewer opportunities for subject-specific teaching.
This has implications for teacher training and deployment, particularly in rural areas.
The findings emphasise the need for targeted interventions to address systemic challenges in South Africa’s education system.
Strengthening early-grade literacy and numeracy is essential to ensure that learners progress with a solid academic foundation. While reducing grade repetition is beneficial, the report finds that promotion policies must be balanced with adequate learning support to prevent knowledge gaps.
It says more support is needed for learners moving from Home Language instruction to English in Grade 4, and improving Mathematics education in earlier grades can help more learners pursue STEM-related careers.
Expanding learner-following practices and increasing subject specialisation in smaller schools can enhance teaching effectiveness, the document reads.
The report finds that by leveraging robust data systems, policymakers, educators and stakeholders can develop more effective strategies to support learner success and drive long-term improvements in South Africa’s education system.
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