NAOMI S. BARON

WHEN the company OpenAI launched its new artificial intelligence program, ChatGPT, in late 2022, educators began to worry. ChatGPT could generate text that seemed like a human wrote it. How could teachers detect whether students were using language generated by an AI chatbot to cheat on a writing assignment?

As a linguist who studies the effects of technology on how people read, write and think, I believe there are other, equally pressing concerns besides cheating. These include whether AI, more generally, threatens student writing skills, the value of writing as a process, and the importance of seeing writing as a vehicle for thinking.

As part of the research for my new book on the effects of artificial intelligence on human writing, I surveyed young adults in the U.S. and Europe about a host of issues related to those effects. They reported a litany of concerns about how AI tools can undermine what they do as writers. However, as I note in my book, these concerns have been a long time in the making.

Users see negative effects

Tools like ChatGPT are only the latest in a progression of AI programs for editing or generating text. In fact, the potential for AI undermining both writing skills and motivation to do your own composing has been decades in the making.

Spellcheck and now sophisticated grammar and style programs like Grammarly and Microsoft Editor are among the most widely known AI-driven editing tools. Besides correcting spelling and punctuation, they identify grammar issues as well as offer alternative wording.

AI text-generation developments have included autocomplete for online searches and predictive texting. Enter “Was Rome” into a Google search and you’re given a list of choices like “Was Rome built in a day.” Type “ple” into a text message and you’re offered “please” and “plenty.” These tools inject themselves into our writing endeavors without being invited, incessantly asking us to follow their suggestions.

Young adults in my surveys appreciated AI assistance with spelling and word completion, but they also spoke of negative effects. One survey participant said that “At some point, if you depend on a predictive text [program], you’re going to lose your spelling abilities.” Another observed that “Spellcheck and AI software … can … be used by people who want to take an easier way out.”

One respondent mentioned laziness when relying on predictive texting: “It’s OK when I am feeling particularly lazy.”

Personal expression diminished

AI tools can also affect a person’s writing voice. One person in my survey said that with predictive texting, “[I] don’t feel I wrote it.”

A high school student in Britain echoed the same concern about individual writing style when describing Grammarly: “Grammarly can remove students’ artistic voice. … Rather than using their own unique style when writing, Grammarly can strip that away from students by suggesting severe changes to their work.”

In a similar vein, Evan Selinger, a philosopher, worried that predictive texting reduces the power of writing as a form of mental activity and personal expression.

“[B]y encouraging us not to think too deeply about our words, predictive technology may subtly change how we interact with each other,” Selinger wrote. “[W]e give others more algorithm and less of ourselves. … [A]utomation … can stop us thinking.”

In literate societies, writing has long been recognized as a way to help people think. Many people have quoted author Flannery O’Connor’s comment that “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” A host of other accomplished writers, from William Faulkner to Joan Didion, have also voiced this sentiment. If AI text generation does our writing for us, we diminish opportunities to think out problems for ourselves.

One eerie consequence of using programs like ChatGPT to generate language is that the text is grammatically perfect. A finished product. It turns out that lack of errors is a sign that AI, not a human, probably wrote the words, since even accomplished writers and editors make mistakes. Human writing is a process. We question what we originally wrote, we rewrite, or sometimes start over entirely.

Challenges in schools

When undertaking school writing assignments, ideally there is ongoing dialogue between teacher and student: Discuss what the student wants to write about. Share and comment on initial drafts. Then it’s time for the student to rethink and revise. But this practice often doesn’t happen. Most teachers don’t have time to fill a collaborative editorial – and educational – role. Moreover, they might lack interest or the necessary skills, or both.

Conscientious students sometimes undertake aspects of the process themselves – as professional authors typically do. But the temptation to lean on editing and text generation tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT makes it all too easy for people to substitute ready-made technology results for opportunities to think and learn.

Educators are brainstorming how to make good use of AI writing technology. Some point up AI’s potential to kick-start thinking or to collaborate. Before the appearance of ChatGPT, an earlier version of the same underlying program, GPT-3, was licensed by commercial ventures such as Sudowrite. Users can enter a phrase or sentence and then ask the software to fill in more words, potentially stimulating the human writer’s creative juices.

A fading sense of ownership

Yet there’s a slippery slope between collaboration and encroachment. Writer Jennifer Lepp admits that as she increasingly relied on Sudowrite, the resulting text “didn’t feel like mine anymore. It was very uncomfortable to look back over what I wrote and not really feel connected to the words or ideas.”

Students are even less likely than seasoned writers to recognize where to draw the line between a writing assist and letting an AI text generator take over their content and style.

As the technology becomes more powerful and pervasive, I expect schools will strive to teach students about generative AI’s pros and cons. However, the lure of efficiency can make it hard to resist relying on AI to polish a writing assignment or do much of the writing for you. Spellcheck, grammar check and autocomplete programs have already paved the way.

Writing as a human process

I asked ChatGPT whether it was a threat to humans’ motivation to write. The bot’s response:

“There will always be a demand for creative, original content that requires the unique perspective and insight of a human writer.”

It continued: “[W]riting serves many purposes beyond just the creation of content, such as self-expression, communication, and personal growth, which can continue to motivate people to write even if certain types of writing can be automated.”

I was heartened to find the program seemingly acknowledged its own limitations.

My hope is that educators and students will as well. The purpose of making writing assignments must be more than submitting work for a grade. Crafting written work should be a journey, not just a destination.

(Naomi S. Baron, Professor of Linguistics Emerita, American University)

THE CONVERSATION

LEONIE BOLLEURS

THE University of the Free State (UFS) hosted the 31st Annual Conference of the Southern African Association for Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (SAARMSTE) at the weekend.

After two years of hosting the SAARMSTE conference virtually, it is being presented as a hybrid conference for the first time.

In attendance are delegates from South Africa, Southern Africa, America, India, Australia, and Europe.

The conference theme is: Intersecting Research, Policy and Practice for a Sustainable Praxis in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education: New possibilities and directions for the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era.

Sharing best practices and discussing common challenges

SAARMSTE President, Dr Tulsi Morar from the Nelson Mandela University, believes the conference is fertile ground for each delegate to have an opportunity to share best practices, discuss common challenges experienced during the pandemic, and celebrate how these challenges has been overcome.

It is only through our reliance and strength that we have succeeded, and because of our experiences, we can grow and innovate to be better prepared for any further challenges, he said.

Opening the event was Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS. He said what is to be discussed at the conference will be meaningful for the challenges the world has to solve, stating that with challenges also come possibilities.

“We live in a time of significant change in the realm of technology, which has an impact on the world of work. Graduates will need to change their thinking in the world of work. They need to understand the future world of work,” Prof Petersen stated.

He also touched on curriculum reform, saying that a critical challenge for South Africa’s education system is the decolonisation of the curriculum. What is being taught must make meaningful sense in our context. “The UFS has made significant progress in curriculum transformation since 2016,” he added.

With delegates as well as speakers from other countries present at the conference, Prof Petersen also talked about the UFS’ Global Citizens initiative. He said no country can operate in isolation. We need to learn from each other to move forward as a collective. “It is also vital to deliver global citizens,” he said.

“The importance of the SAARMSTE conference cannot be overemphasised in our current education landscape. We need sustainable relationships to be developed at conferences such as these in order to ask questions, think differently, and renew ourselves,” he concluded, stating that the role of humanities and social sciences in society is critical and that SAARMSTE can add value in this context.

Thinking indigenously about Technology education and its implementation

To contribute to robust discussions on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, three keynote speakers will be sharing their views during the three-day conference.

Prof Dr Susanne Prediger, Director of the newly established DZLM, the German National Centre for Mathematics Teacher Education, delivered the first keynote address of the conference. She talked about Fostering students’ understanding of procedures and underlying basic concepts: Design research for mathematics classrooms and teacher professional development in the post-pandemic era.

She is of the opinion that although providing students with rich and deep mathematical learning opportunities is a common request in Mathematics education, many students are still only exposed to superficial learning. According to her, this was aggravated by the school closures during the pandemic and will continue in the post-pandemic era if Mathematics teachers are not sufficiently supported and prepared.

The second plenary will be delivered by Prof Mishack T Gumbo from the University of South Africa. He is a Research Professor of Indigenous Technology Knowledge Systems Education in the Department of Science and Technology Education. The title of his talk is: A relook into Technology Education: Raising a transformational issue, where he will focus on education, specifically the curriculum of Technology Education as a school subject.

He will show how technology, which learners learn in Technology Education, is still hooked onto the colonial perspective and how colonialism still thrives. In his plenary, Prof Gumbo will provide strategies to think indigenously about Technology Education and its implementation as such.

The third plenary will be delivered by Dr Gillian Roehrig from the University of Minnesota in the US. She is known for her research that explores issues of professional development for K-12 Science teachers, with a focus on the implementation of integrated STEM learning environments and the induction and mentoring of beginning secondary Science teachers.

Her paper, titled The Hows and Whys of Integrated STEM Education, will explore the development of a conceptual and curricular framework for integrated STEM, and the benefits of using interdisciplinary approaches to address the policy goals of preparing students as STEM-literate citizens and for the future STEM workforce.

UFS: Supplied

ZIMBABWE mountain biker Pressmore Musundi is hoping to compete at this year’s African Games in Ghana, despite being born without any toes on both feet.

Musundi has established himself as one of the leading riders in South Africa and earned a professional contract with the Trialwolf Lions Club.

He won the WTF MTN Challenge in 2018 and also came third in the 2019 Route 66 MTB Experience, two of South Africa’s leading mountain bike races.

Last year, he earned a sponsorship deal with insurer King Price alongside other South African mountain bikers Candice Lill, Phil Buys and Gert Heyns.

Musundi was born in Zimbabwe but left the country as a 14-year-old to find a job across the Limpopo River.

He was employed as a gardener by Mooikloof Estate in Pretoria, who gave him a bike to ride to and from work.

Musundi was then invited to join the Pretoria South Lions Club, with his performances catching the eyes of Trialwolf Lions Club.

“I was born with no toes on both feet,” Musundi told Zimbabwe newspaper The Chronicle.

“I grew up in a rural area but used to visit Harare.

“I started school but unfortunately had to drop out of secondary school in 2004 when my dad passed away.

“That’s when I came to South Africa.

“Cycling has always been my passion since I was five-years-old.

“I used to use Buffalo bikes to travel to school but had no idea that it would end up becoming my career.

“When I first arrived in South Africa, searching for a better life, I started working as a gardener at Mooikloof Estate.

“There, the people I worked for bought me 24-inch mountain bike so that I could get to work.”

This year’s African Games, due to take place in Accra between August 4 and 19, is Musundi’s next target.

“It would be such an honour to qualify for the African Games,” he said.

“I’d love to help inspire others and help them realise that their dreams are worth chasing, no matter where they come from.”

At the last African Games in Casablanca four years ago, Namibia dominated the mountain bike events, winning three of the four gold medals available.

Tristan De Lange won the men’s cross-country and cross-country marathon, while Tiffany Keep won the women’s cross-country.

Kimberley Le Court of Mauritius stopped a clean sweep as she took the gold medal in the women’s cross-country marathon.

Insidethegames

PUBLIC universities across a widening swath of U.S. states have banned TikTok in recent months, and two of the country’s largest colleges just followed suit.

The University of Texas and Texas A&M University are two of the latest colleges to take action against the social app, which is owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.

The flurry of recent campus TikTok bans was inspired by executive orders issued by a number of state governors. Public universities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Dakota and now Texas have taken measures to restrict access to the app, blocking it from campus Wi-Fi networks and school-owned devices.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered Texas state agencies to ban the app from government devices in early December, citing privacy and security concerns stemming from TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Abbott characterized the concerns as “growing threats” and gave agencies until mid-February to plan around the changes.

“The university is taking these important steps to eliminate risks to information contained in the university’s network and to our critical infrastructure,” University of Texas Advisor to the President for Technology Strategy Jeff Neyland wrote this week.

“As outlined in the governor’s directive, TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users’ devices — including when, where and how they conduct internet activity — and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government.”

A Texas A&M spokesperson confirmed to the Texas Tribune that “… Students, faculty, staff and visitors will not be able to use the app when connected to an A&M network.”

At the start of 2023, TikTok remains in a strange and contradictory state of limbo in the United States. The app, which regularly tops U.S. charts, is also under intense scrutiny at the federal and state level.

The Biden administration banned TikTok from government devices in a bill signed at the end of December. FBI Director Christopher Wray raised red flags over TikTok’s ability to collect data on its users and its potential to spread Chinese state influence operations around the same time.

“All of these things are in the hands of a government that doesn’t share our values and that has a mission that’s very much at odds with what’s in the best interests of the United States,” Wray said. “That should concern us.”

The U.S. government has also long been suspected of running its own covert influence operations on social media apps, though the evidence to date suggests that U.S. tech companies didn’t facilitate that behavior, which would run afoul of platform policies.

While the irony of that particular accusation against ByteDance is worth noting, apps headquartered in the U.S. do have more recourse for pushing back against government requests and more channels for transparency around those relationships.

The Biden administration’s concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership are themselves an extension of worries that took root in the U.S. government during the Trump era. The Trump administration attempted to force ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. business to a new owner, though those unprecedented efforts fell apart over time.

ByteDance has certainly failed to be forthright about how data flows between its U.S. and China operations, raising eyebrows about what else the company conceals. Last month, Forbes reported that TikTok’s parent company tracked journalists’ IP addresses in an effort to identify which employees were sharing unauthorized information.

Whether ongoing concerns around TikTok’s prevalence in the U.S. are valid or not, the university bans aren’t likely to have much impact on the app’s popularity. Students can easily switch to their own mobile data plans to get around network-level bans on campus, though many school employees will soon have a firewall between the app and their university accounts — and potentially one less social channel to monitor.

TechCrunch

 LEONIE BOLLEURS 

WITH the release of the National Senior Certificate exam results by the National Department of Basic Education on 19 January 2023, it was confirmed that the Free State maintained its status as the top-performing province in the country.

This year’s average pass rate for the province is 88,5%, an increase of 2,8% from 2021, and more than 8% above the national pass rate.

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), congratulated the Matric Class of 2022.

“Passing the National Senior Certificate examination is a milestone worthy of celebration and a step towards realising your dreams for the future. The University of the Free State congratulates you on achieving this goal and we are delighted that you have achieved this success.”

“We are recruiting the best students and scholars from diverse backgrounds and are looking forward to welcoming you to start the next chapter of your life and to guiding you to realise your true potential.”

“At the UFS, we have a clear vision of where we want to be within the next few years leading up to the year 2034, when the university will be 130 years old. Vision 130 expresses our intent and commitment to be acknowledged by our peers and society as a top-tier university in South Africa, ranked among the best in the world.”

“Academic excellence, quality, and impact lie at the centre of our vision. So does maximum societal impact. We are demonstrating our impact through our graduates, the knowledge we generate, the research we conduct, and our engagement with society,” he says. 

Prof Petersen continues, “We are focused on consistently renewing and reimagining ourselves in order to effectively impact the communities that surround us.”

It is in its engagement with society, striving to make a positive impact, that the UFS has certain initiatives in place that have contributed to the successful pass rate of matric pupils in the province.

Creative Clubs

Creative Clubs is one of these initiatives. The initiator and coordinator of the programme, Dr Joleen Hamilton from the university’s School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology Education, says Creative Clubs aim to create an environment to cultivate skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, higher-order reasoning, teamwork, and perseverance. 

“Motivation, more specifically internal motivation, is another aspect we address. For this to work, we make the learners believe in their abilities, potential, and themselves. Learners need to have the self-confidence to find the courage to persevere, even if the problem is challenging. Having self-confidence and self-belief is crucial for learners to be successful in their school career and afterwards,” she says. 

The skills taught in Creative Clubs prepare learners for success when they write the National Senior Certificate exam later. “Due to our focus on the development of skills, we are able to equip learners with the tools they need to be successful in any subject or learning situation.”

“Most of the activities done in Creative Club sessions are focusing on changing learners’ attitudes towards themselves in terms of what they believe they can accomplish,” says Dr Hamilton. 

She is of the opinion that Mathematics and Science are both perceived as difficult and only for high achievers. She explains that many of the learners do not have a choice and must take Mathematics and Science as subjects, whether they are interested in the fields or not. “If the learners can get support in not only understanding the content but also in developing and strengthening skills, their attitudes towards these subjects can be changed to believing that it can be managed and mastered. Once their attitudes change, their self-belief increases, and learners are more willing to try challenging problems or topics in these subjects.”

Sci-Ed Science Education Centre

Another drive of the university that provides support to learners and contributes to successful matric results in the long run, is the Sci-Ed Science Education Centre hosted by the UFS Faculty of Education to address the challenge of Mathematics and Science teaching and learning in South Africa.

Dr Cobus van Breda, Manager of Sci-Ed and Programme Director of Science-for-the-Future, believes success in matric is the result of many contributing factors. “Apart from a solid school education, it is also about consistent hard work over a long period of time, exposure to additional learning opportunities, and networking with peers,” he says.

Dr Van Breda adds, “The new Sci-Ed Science Education Centre at the UFS is creating a platform and space for such initiatives. Since Sci-Ed will accommodate learners from all grades, it will also contribute towards laying sound foundations in the early school years for success later, especially in Mathematics and Science. Teacher professional development, learner support, and parent-empowering initiatives are at the base of the activities offered at Sci-Ed. 

Acknowledging the centre’s future contributions during its opening ceremony on 6 December 2022, Dr Tate Makgoe, the MEC for Basic Education in the Free State, said the provincial government will send its Foundation Phase teachers here to further strengthen their skills.

UFS| Supplied

PHUTI MOSOMANE

MORE Gauteng township public schools have excelled in the 2022 matric examinations, with 20 schools achieving 100% pass rate, and 134 achieving a pass rate of over 90%.  

MEC of Education Matome Chiloane said this is in light of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s Township, Informal Settlements and Hostel (TISH) focus strategy.

“More township public schools excelled in the 2022 NSC exams and we congratulate the principals of the 107 township public schools, including 9 Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) schools, that achieved a pass rate of above 90% for the sterling work done. Last year, only 61 township public schools achieved above 90% last year,” said Chiloane.

Chilaoane gave a special recognition to Imbali Combined School, an independent school in the township of Orange Farm, which achieved a 100% pass rate and a 97% Bachelor Pass rate. 

The following township schools have achieved a pass rate above 98% and a Bachelor rate above 75%.

• Raymond Mhlaba Secondary School with 83% Bachelor Passes

• Madibane Comprehensive School with 79% Bachelor Passes

• Letsibogo Secondary School with 78% Bachelor Passes

• Diepsloot Secondary No 2 with 75% Bachelor Passes

“Gauteng has made significant strides in closing the gap between schools serving poor communities, specifically township schools, and those with a strong middle-class component, as shown by the narrowing gap in the performance by township and non-township schools,” Chiloane revealed at a special matric 2022 results announcement in Soshanguve on Friday. 

In 2009, township schools achieved an average pass rate of 60.1%, with non-township schools achieving 84.2%, making a gap of 24.1%. 

In 2023, the gap improved to 8.3% compared to 9.8% in 2021 and compared to 11.8% in 2020, but still below when compared to the 2.8% in 2019. 

Township schools achieved slightly higher results than 2021, with township schools achieving a pass rate of 80.7% compared to 79.6%. In 2021 and non-township schools achieved 89% compared to 89.4% in 2021, a slight decline. 

“We are happy that our interventions in our township schools are bearing fruit. Our Grade 12 learners in township schools had an opportunity to benefit from teaching and learning through investments that we made in technology in the classroom,” said Chiloane.

“This was in addition to the supplementary learning programmes over weekends and school holidays. We shall continue to consolidate our input in this area to maximize the utilization of these resources for improved learning outcomes. This will contribute to narrowing the inequality gaps that persist.” 

He gave special congratulations to Kgothalang Secondary School in Gauteng West which, with tremendous effort, turned around their performance from 41.5% to 87.3%, a staggering improvement of just over 45.8%.  

The school also improved on the percentage of Bachelor Passes from 21% to 44%. 

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who also attended the special breakfast in Soshanguve, said the province has invested resources to ensure that no school is left behind. 

On the improved performance of township schools, Lesufi said: “I think we have turned the corner. The seed that we planted is now showing results.”

Township Awards were presented by Lesufi and Thabiso Madiba, a board member of the Trevor Noah Foundation. 

Top performing township learners:

1st place: Sibusiso Mathebula: IR Lesolang Secondary School: Tshwane West District.

2nd place: Agnes Mahlaku: Thuto Kitso Comprehensive School: Gauteng West District.

3rd place: Olwethu Mondao: Letsibogo Secondary School: Johannesburg West District.

Top learners in physical science are also from township schools, recieved 300 over 300:

 Sibusiso Mathebula: IR Lesolang Secondary School: Tshwane, West District 

Tebatso Herman Dilebo: Tipfuxeni Secondary School: Tshwane, North District

Matimba Manganyi: Letlotio Secondary School: Tshwane West, District

Boikanyo Khoza: Modilati Secondary School: Tshwane North, District 

Top performing township schools;

1st place: Letsibogo Secondary School: Johannesburg West District

2nd place: Lesiba Secondary School: Ekurhuleni North District.

3rd place: Ratshepo Secondary School: Tshwane North

INSIDE EDUCATION 

PHUTI MOSOMANE

GAUTENG Education MEC Matome Chiloane said the 84.4% overall performance in the 2022 matric results showed that the Gauteng education system is on the right track. 

Chiloane congratulated Gauteng’s matric class of 2022 for achieving an outstanding pass rate of 84.4%. A 1.7% increase from 2021.

This achievement is a 1.7% improvement from the 2021 matric results of 82.8% and puts Gauteng as the second top performing province in South Africa.

More schools in Gauteng have achieved a 100% pass rate. In 2021 131 schools managed to ace the exams with a 100% pass rate, the figure has risen to 149 schools for the 2022 matric exams.  

Similarly, more schools achieved a pass rate of above 95% in 2022 than in the previous year. In 2022 a total of 290 schools achieved above 95%, compared to 265 in 2021.The province has achieved bachelor entry pass rate of 43.4%.

“This goes to show how dedication, resilience, and hard work in 2022 proved to be the elements of success for Gauteng’s Class of 2022, who achieved an outstanding pass rate of 84.4%,” he told top achievers in Soshanguve East Secondary School on Friday.

Gauteng is the second best performing province below the Free State province.

Chiloane said the class of 2022 navigated two years of disrupted schooling in 2020 and 2021 brought by COVID-19, and an overloaded curriculum programme in the run-up to their Grade 12 examinations.

“Equipped with the mindset to accomplish improved performance, the class of 2022 set off on a purposeful course to identify achievable goals. utilise available tailored resources provided through school, district and provincial learner support initiatives and maximise the additional structured time allocated through interventions and all other support,” he said.

He said the 2022 matric outcomes were a result of “dedicated collective support of parents and school communities and entrusted efforts by teachers, social administrators and managers, district and provincial officials contributing to rendering the class of 2022 exam ready”.

Five Gauteng Districts performed above 80%, with four districts being part of the Top 10 Performing Districts in the country, having achieved pass rates of more than 85% each:

Johannesburg West  89.74%  (+3.14%)  [3rd Place nationally]

Tshwane South   89.96%  (-0.34%)   [4th Place nationally]

Gauteng North   87.71%  (+7.51%)  [5th Place nationally]

Johannesburg North   86.19%  (+1.29%)  [10th Place nationally] 

Ekurhuleni South  85.69%  (-0.61%)

Sedibeng East   85.24%  (+3.84%)

Johannesburg East   84.21%  (+0.81%)

Gauteng East 83.58%  (+6.08%)

Tshwane North  83.46%  (+0.26%)

Ekurhuleni North  82.93%  (+0.73%)

Johannesburg South 82.80%  (+4.5%)

Gauteng West  82.10%  (+2.8%)

Johannesburg Central  82.03%  (+1.23%)

Tshwane West  81.98%  (-0.32%)

Sedibeng West  81.68%  (+2.58%)

Equally, Chiloane said the department must also attend schools that consistently perform below par.  About 53 public and independent schools achieved less than 65% compared to 69 public and independent schools in 2021. 

“In the next few days, the Gauteng Department of Education will meet with the School Management Teams of all public schools that performed below 65% and begin a process to address this poor performance,” Chiloane assured Premier Panyza Lesufi who also attended the ceremony.  

The Department will meet the public schools that performed below 65% to put into place interventions to improve the performance of these schools. This will include a review of management and teaching personnel. A rapid school evaluation will be undertaken, and an academic improvement plan designed and implemented.

“We will support all matriculants that have failed by providing a multi-faceted Second Chance Programme in 2023 to assist supplementary exam and part-time candidates, amended Senior Certificate candidates and progressed learners who need to complete their National Senior Certificate.

He said the department will assist them in the subjects they have failed to ensure that they completed the requirements for passing. Moreover, he said learners that require psycho-social support are also urged to engage their schools or the Department. 

“As we celebrate the Class of 2022 with much pride and excitement, it is only fitting and a privilege to recognise that our successes are due to our collective commitment to Growing Gauteng Together as learners, teachers, school staff, parents and all basic education sector stakeholders. In this regard, I reiterate our commitment to pursue a quality and inclusive basic education system for all young people of our province,” said MEC Chiloane.

Lesufi said the 2022 matric results belong to the teachers. He said it was critical for Gauteng to deliberately focus on developing skills for the new economy as “learners are the future gold requiring necessary support”.

“I can stand here and say we have turned the corner,” Lesufi said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the Matric Class of 2022 for outstanding individual and collective performances in the face of challenges arising from two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) announced the National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric results on Thursday evening.
 
Ramaphosa said the matric results announced by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga highlighted numerous advances in the basic education system, including an overall pass rate of 80.1 percent.

“The Class of 2022 deserves the congratulations and respect of the nation for rising above the challenges of COVID-19, loadshedding and a period of unrest,” said Ramaphosa.
 
“We must all work together to build a society where learners are not measured only by their resilience in testing times but where they can fulfil their potential in conducive conditions.”

Ramaphosa added: “As much as we celebrate individual achievement, the Class of 2022 also constitutes a pass for our education system; it vindicates the extensive and unwavering investment we have made in education during nearly 30 years of freedom.”
 
“We owe the achievements of 2022 to the diligence of learners alongside the commitment and support of teachers, who also endured the challenges of the year, as well as education officials.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

NICOLETTE V. ROMAN

EVERY January, the day arrives that South Africans know can decide their fates: the “matric” exam results are announced. In 2022, 753,964 full-time and 167,915 part-time candidates registered to write the secondary school exit exam – the largest cohort ever. They’ll receive the results on 20 January 2023.

Many probably feel ambivalent about this massive moment in their educational journey. On the one hand, there is the feeling of completeness because the school years are done. On the other, there is a basket of emotions: stress, anxiety and excitement at the prospect of the unknown. Matrics (or Grade 12s) and their parents know that the National Senior Certificate, issued when matric is successfully completed, is a ticket to the future.

The results dictate whether you qualify to apply to a tertiary institution or not; this a big deal in a society that sees university qualifications as the ideal (or only) path to wealth, image and fame. University qualifications are also viewed as superior to vocational training.

So, those who don’t achieve the required matric marks will not be able to attend university. It can shatter dreams and cause huge disappointment, along with feelings of failure, hopelessness and helplessness. The way a parent or caregiver responds in this situation is extremely important.

As a researcher specialising in parent-child relationships, here’s my advice for guiding children through what can be a tough, scary and disappointing time.

Positive support

There are four key things your children need to hear if they are disappointed and feeling like a failure:

Getting up after a fall is important

Success is relative: everyone is different and has different abilities

There are many ways to achieve success other than getting a university degree

As a parent you believe your child is capable of doing anything.

This kind of positive, loving support is critical. The research I’ve conducted with various colleagues shows that parents are important in adolescents’ decision-making, life goals and aspirations. They also play a key role in shaping teens’ psychological wellbeing, as well as modelling both healthy and risky behaviours.

Negative parenting practices like rejection, neglect, psychological control, pressure to perform, overprotectiveness and indulgent parenting are associated with difficulty in making good decisions. Children may panic about making decisions, become indecisive – especially about career choices – or make risky decisions.

It is normal for parents to be disappointed that their child’s results were not as expected. However, as a start, take a deep breath and realise that your child is struggling to come to terms with their results, too, and may believe they are a failure. This is not the time to scold and berate them about not achieving.

Remember, the Grade 12 year that’s just passed has, by and large, been about achieving success and feeling the pressure to perform. This situation just amplifies their stress and anxiety.

Taking a deep breath allows for calmness in your approach to supporting your child. A more positive approach, which includes being responsive, supportive, approachable, encouraging and understanding, would be very helpful as a start to diffusing a very emotional situation for your child.

Room to talk and plan

Allow your child to talk about how they’re feeling about the outcome, without interrupting. It would be a good idea to find out if your child has thoughts about the way forward. This could be the first of a few paced conversations over a few weeks. This will allow for some perspective and give your child the chance to think things through. That helps them to develop feelings of ownership in decision-making as well as boosting their confidence and competence. This is important for the satisfaction of psychological needs to achieve psychological wellbeing.

If they haven’t thought about what comes next, you could consider exploring the options together, building a plan B and C since plan A was not achieved. For instance, your child could request re-marks for subjects where they expected to perform better. Or they could enrol for the Department of Basic Education’s Second Chance Programme.

Monitor your child and their wellbeing in this time. You may feel that you need to draw in others, such as a counsellor, psychologist or social worker, or a teacher or friend your child is close to, to help map out the next steps, providing options or just as an additional support for you and your child.
(Nicolette V Roman, University of the Western Cape)

THE CONVERSATION

PHUTI MOSOMANE

THE Free State is once again the leading province at 88.5%, an increase of 2.8% from 2021, according to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, who announced matric results for the year 2022 on Thursday night.

Gauteng achieved at 84.4%, an increase of 1.6% from 2021.

KwaZulu-Natal, the best improved province, achieved 83.0%, an increase of 6.2% from 2021, while the third best improved province record went to the Eastern Cape, with an achievement of 77.3%, an increase of 4.2% from 2021.

“We should state that none of the provinces performed below the 70% pass rate; and none had a decline when their 2022 results are compared with those of the previous year. Five provinces performed above the 70% pass rate; and four provinces performed above the 80% pass rate,” said Motshekga.

“The provinces with the highest improvements in their performances are KwaZulu-Natal with 6.2%; Limpopo with 5.3%; and the Eastern Cape with 4.2%.  Again, the great work done in these three most rural provinces, must be applauded.”

Motshekga also praised the class of 2022 for producing a pass rate of 80.1% despite challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic and load shedding. 

The pass rate is now up by 3.7 percentage points.

“The Matric Class of 2022 must be commended for maintaining this trend despite the astronomical challenges they faced – challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, ESKOM’s loadshedding, and the sporadic service delivery protests,” said Motshekga.

“The 2022 NSC overall pass rate has reached the 80.1%, (compared with 76.4% in 2021) – an improvement of 3.7% from the pass rate achieved by the Class of 2021.  This, represents a record of five hundred and eighty thousand, five hundred and fifty five (580 555) candidates, who passed the 2022 NSC examinations – an improvement of 7.9% passes by number, achieved by the Class of 2021.”

She said the number of bachelor passes has increased 8.9 percentage points, and also diploma passes. 

She said Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal contributed the most bachelor passes.

“We must state that KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng contributed the most Bachelor passes, with sixty-nine thousand, eight hundred and forty-nine (69 849) – an increase of 12.9% from 2021; and fifty-eight thousand, one hundred and nineteen (58 119) – an increase of 4.1% from 2021, respectively.” 

“When combined, KZN and Gauteng contributed one hundred and twenty-seven thousand, nine hundred and sixty-eight (127 968) Bachelor passes – an improvement of 8.7% from 2021, and 45.9% of the overall Bachelor passes nationally,” said Motshekga.

She said it was remarkable to note that the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo – the three most rural provinces in the country, produced a combined total of 137 701 Bachelor passes, which is equivalent to 63.0% of the total Bachelor passes; and an improvement of 13.5% from the 2021 total Bachelor passes. 

“In addition, these three most rural provinces, produced one hundred and seventeen thousand, four hundred and fifty one (117 451) passes with distinction, which is equivalent to 53.7% of the total passes with distinction; – an improvement of 13.1% from the 2021,” said Motshekga.

“It is also noteworthy that the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo were also able to produce a combined total ninety-five thousand, three hundred and ninety-three (95 393) Diploma passes; which is equivalent to 49.3% of the total Diploma passes nationally; and an improvement of 8.3% from the 2021 total passes with Diploma.  Therefore, this kind of consistent and improved performance by our three most rural provinces, dispels the myth that quality education, is a character of urban provinces.” 

INSIDE EDUCATION