A member of the National Assembly from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Siphosethi Ngcobo has questioned the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on whether they have looked into the factors which contribute to the difference between the matric results of independent schools and public schools.
Independent schools are administered National Senior Cerificate (NSC) examinations by the Independent Examinations Board (IEB). These examinations are manufactured independently and therefore differ from the NSC examinations administered by the DBE in the public schooling system.
All NSC examinations are regulated by Umalusi and the content taught between the two models and their assessment quality are similar even though the examinations are set differently.
The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga has said that the NSC examinations administered by the IEB could not be compared to the NSC examinations administered by the DBE.
Motshekga said that in 2022, the IEB administered the NSC exams to not more than 13 000 candidates while the DBE administered the NSC exams to 920 634 full-time and part-time candidates.
She said that learners at independent schools who take the IEB examination, have access to the best resources related to teaching and learning and the examinations that they take in matric caters for these circumstances.
The Minister stated that learners in the public schooling system are from different South African socio-economic environments which range from deep rural to the township and urban schools. Thus, they are not provided with the same access to resources.
She believes that the 80.1% pass rate attained by the public schooling system in 2022 should be applauded and celebrated and not compared to the 98.42% achieved by the independent schools.
