THE national matric results for 2016 have been approved and declared valid.
Quality assurance council Umalasi announced this yesterday. It was also announced that there were more progressed pupils in matric this year than in previous years.
Progressed pupils are those who have been pushed into matric after failing grade 11 twice.
Council chairman John Volmink said this year’s group was the third to write their final exams under the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (Caps) system.
He said results from two schools in Limpopo where the second maths paper was leaked would not be released but the decision would not affect more than 100 pupils. He said the paper didn’t leak to other areas and said the crime was being investigated by the Hawks.
Volmink added that last year, pupils performed worse than in previous years. This year, there were more progressed pupils in matric.
He said there were no adjustments in subjects like physical science and history and there had been an improvement in accounting. “We identified six subjects which many pupils didn’t pass, including maths, isiNdebele, English, Setswana, isiXhosa and Xitsonga.
“There is no real reason why these subjects saw so many failures.”
He said most pupils still struggle with maths but since 2014, maths literacy had also became a learning area with difficulties.
Council CEO Mafu Rakometsi confirmed that his year had seen more progressed pupils than previously. “The department systems were compromised by the leakage of papers. We have to increase security every year.”
