Sack the principal failures

‘Why should we pay under-performers?’

By ZINE GEORGE

Education Reporter

EASTERN Cape Education MEC Mkhangeli Matomela has ordered district managers to crack the whip on all principals whose matric results dropped this year despite the special support their schools got from the government.

Matomela’s stern warning yesterday followed his announcement of a 59,3 percent matric pass rate in the Eastern Cape – an increase of 2,6 percent on last year.

The Education Department spent more than R23 million on its Matric Intervention Programme (MIP) to assist 353 schools whose matric
results dipped to less than 50 percent last year.

About 46 of these schools received extra attention through the MEC’s Intervention Programme, which saw mentors visiting the schools weekly and motivational speakers doing monthly rounds.

But only six showed improvement in their overall pass rates.

“I’ve had a meeting with district directors and I gave them a clear mandate to act against principals of the schools whose matric results have dropped,” the MEC said in East London yesterday when he
announced the results.

The principals received warnings last year.

The MEC pointed to Khanyolwethu Senior Secondary School at Ngcobo, where eight matrics sat for exams last year and none passed.

The school’s results dropped from 63,6 percent in 2004, to 41,7 percent last year.

“If I was a district director of that school which received zero percent this year, I would suspend the principal immediately and appoint someone who will run that school properly right from the beginning of the year ...

“We cannot continue paying people who are under-performing.

“Private companies do not pay people who do not perform. Why is it that in government, we continue to pay people who are not performing?”

The province is among four whose matric results improved this year. Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga were the others.

Of the 41268 pupils who passed this year, 22656 are female.

But only 7002 of the 69561 (10,1 percent) of all Eastern Cape matrics qualify to go to university.

Of these 3418 are male and 3584 female.

Education Minister Naledi Pandor welcomed the Eastern Cape’s improvement but raised concerns as the province was “still way below” the national average.

Matomela said next month there will be a conference for all stakeholders to craft a strategy which would assist the province crack the 60 percent mark.

“I am not satisfied at all with these results.

“Our learners have got the potential to do more than what we have achieved.

“This province belongs in the 70s and above … if one takes into account its history.”

Last December, Matomela said nothing less than a 5percent improvement would be acceptable.

ANC Education portfolio committee chairperson Mahlubandile Qwase welcomed the increase but regretted that they had not achieved the target.

PAC’s Zingisa Mkabile called for greater investment in books so that the not-so-good results of agriculture, maths and science improve.

“Overall, we are moving in the right direction.”

See pages 4, 5 and 7