South Africa’s Education system seems to be riddled with many problems. These problems range from your primary school problems to your High school problems that at the end, end up affecting the country at some stage. After 23 years of democracy, one would expect the countries investments to be well looked after but that seems to be not the case. People think of monetary investments when the word ‘investment’ is brought up in a conversation or writing but communities must realise that good quality education provided is an investment at its own. While many countries invest in offering their citizens, ours is struggling. Instead of trying out better solutions, they go for the easy way of blindfolding its citizens to poverty.

Every start of the year we watch the Minister of Education addressing the country on how Matriculants have performed. We always cheer to all that have done exceptionally well and sympathise with the ones who have not performed very well, motivating them to get back up. What about the average student, what about the damage being to those still at school by lowering passing requirements? Now we are not putting blame on the government as raising a child takes the whole nation but on this issue the government is.

Before we can go into details on how to improve the children’s quality of public education to secure their future, one needs to look at its background.

Background

Looking at the academic grading in South Africa, Matric pass requirements are as follows. Three pass levels, Higher Certificate, Diploma and a Bachelor’s Degree (exemption) (Education, n.d.)

For one to obtain the above levels, one needs to get for a Higher Certificate;

·         40% in Home language

·         At least 40% in two other subjects

·         At least 30 %in three other subjects

A diploma pass;

·         At least 40% for your Home language

·         At least 50% for four other high credit subjects

·         At least 30% for two other subjects

And a Bachelor’s Degree Pass

·         At least 40% for your Home language

·         At least 50% for four other high credit subjects

·         At least 30% for two other subjects

Now most would argue about these marks and people have their own perspectives. But the hard truth is these pass requirements are crushing our children’s future. And although one might say let’s raise the pass requirements, still we would find ourselves in a direr predicament. So, there needs to be an improvement in the public sector of education before the pass requirements can be raised.

Our country produced 76,2% of Matriculants that won’t even get entrance into university or into college. Just because one has gotten a bachelor’s degree pass, does not mean they will get entrance in higher education facilities. This country is only focused on producing matriculants no matter what the cost will be. If we look at Universities, almost every year they increase their entrance points. It is even hard to get into university and do a diploma in public relations. At Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in order to a Diploma in Public Relations one needs to have a 32 admission points score, that being a level 4 in your Home language, at least level 2 in your Mathematics or level 3 in Mathematical literacy. Now if you compare these requirements with South Africa’s grading for a pass with a diploma you only get 27 points. You cannot even get entrance to do a diploma in public relations. Now we can spend time calculating other career entrances but once you do the math yourself you will see that almost 60% of the matriculants won’t get a chance to further their studies. 

 The government is solving one problem by creating another one, solving the issue of low matric pass rates but leaving the ones who have passed stranded with no perspectives. While they are busy degrading the quality of education higher education institutes are increasing their points of entrance restricting all African children from getting a higher education.

Here below are the proposed ways to improving the education system:

·        1. Building of Early Child Development Centres in all rural areas, with children attending as early as 3 years and employment staff to implement the National Curriculum Framework for children from birth to four.

·        2. School Learner Tutoring and improving Mathematics

·        3. Entrepreneurship and Computer fundamentals as part of the primary and high school curriculum. · 4. Invest in school libraries
·        5. Increase the pass rates to 50%