Weak leadership led to poor matric results‚ says KZN education MEC

The class of 2016 obtained an overall pass rate of 66.4% including progressed learners‚ and 69.5% without progressed learners.

“We are coming from 60.7% (in 2015). That's a serious improvement. We are improving steadily‚ and ensuring quality‚" said MEC Mthandeni Dlungwana at the official release of the provincial results on Thursday morning.

But he slated the previous leadership of education in the province‚ saying that their failings had put KwaZulu-Natal in the position that it was in now.

"Since 2006‚ KZN had experienced three serious declines. In the first one‚ between 2006 and 2008‚ which was 2.8%; the second one‚ between 2010 and 2011‚ totalling 3%; the third‚ and most serious‚ was 16.7%‚ experienced between 2013 and 2015.

• 10 fast facts about the class of 2016's matric resultsSPONSORED | The results are in, and while the news is good for most of 2016’s matriculants, there are also clear areas in need of improvement. 

“The question we seriously asked was‚ 'Why these declines when we had support programmes in place?' The indicators point to a weak leadership‚ lack of accountability - especially at schools and at districts‚ non-completion of curriculum‚ lack of quality common assessment throughout the system‚ curriculum challenges and lack of resources.

"The most important among these is leadership that failed to take decisions and act decisively‚" said Dlungwana.

He promised that the current administration would "go down in history as one that is decisive".

“Where there is poor performance there will be immediate consequences. We have set high standards for ourselves‚" he said.

Dlungwana said he was still disappointed that nine schools in the province achieved a 0% pass‚ compared to 14 the year before - and vowed to assist schools that underperformed.

But the MEC heaped praise on the AmaJuba district‚ which achieved a 77.4% pass last year.

“In 2015‚ AmaJuba got 58.75% and was ranked eight (of 12 districts in KZN). In 2016‚ this district achieved the highest improvement. Well done to you‚ AmaJuba‚" said Dlungwana. – TMG Digital/The Times