Education
With regard to the 2019 Western Cape matric results:
- What (a) was the province’s pass rate for each quintile, (b) is her Department’s budget allocation for each quintile and (c) is the budget allocation for each quintile per learner;
- in an article published in the Weekend Argus titled “Over 80% pass rate predicted for Western Cape matric results” it was reported that she had said that reduced budgets were a factor to consider in the decline of the province’s matric pass rate; if this is correct, why did she cut the budget for public ordinary schools in the province by R34 million in November 2019;
- what (a) is the Western Cape’s learner retention rate from grade 1 to grade 12 and (b) plans are in place to assist learners who have left the schooling system early?
(1) (a) See the table below:
National quintile | Nr of Schools | Entered | Wrote | Passed | Pass% | B Degree | B Degree% |
NQ1 | 22 | 3 301 | 2 974 | 2 142 | 72.0% | 851 | 28.6% |
NQ2 | 30 | 4 505 | 4 025 | 2 903 | 72.1% | 1 057 | 26.3% |
NQ3 | 67 | 9 438 | 8 690 | 6 505 | 74.9% | 2 398 | 27.6% |
NQ4 | 91 | 10 881 | 10 100 | 7 628 | 75.5% | 2 816 | 27.9% |
NQ5 | 163 | 22 566 | 22 001 | 19 907 | 90.5% | 13 106 | 59.6% |
(b) See the table below: (for 2019/20 FY)
National quintile | Nr of Schools | Budget (R) |
NQ1 | 272 | 138 782 560 |
NQ2 | 166 | 196 001 980 |
NQ3 | 203 | 253 858 480 |
NQ4 | 352 | 344 002 357 |
NQ5 | 444 | 133 809 645 |
Total | 1 437 | 1 066 455 022 |
This is the amount paid for Norms and Standards Funding only, and does not take into account costs of teachers and infrastructure, which is not accessible on a per Quintile basis.
(c) See the table below: (for 2019/20 FY)
National quintile | Nr of learners | Rand per learner (R) |
NQ1 | 99 776 | 1 390 |
NQ2 | 140 997 | 1 390 |
NQ3 | 182 632 | 1 390 |
NQ4 | 301 817 | *1 133 |
NQ5 | 334 241 | * 376 |
Total | 1 059 463 |
|
* NQ4 & 5 per learner allocation, is based on the average per learner allocation, for both fee charging and no-fee schools.
(2) The R34,388 million was not a budget cut, but refers to Compensation of Employees that has been surrendered to the Provincial Revenue Fund as part of the departmental budget management process. This process was agreed to by the Provincial Cabinet as a responsible fiscal strategy to avoid over-expenditure, The Department spent 99,8% of its R22,1bn budget in the 2018/19 financial year, which is excellent, especially when trying to manage filling staffing positions so as not to overspend, when the monthly salary bill is currently R1,45bn. No staffing posts (educator or non-educator) were lost as a result.
This process is made necessary as the province does not receive a sufficient increase in budget from the national government to match the growth in the number of learners in Western Cape schools. This is further exacerbated by the national budget baseline cuts imposed on the education sector.
(3) (a) The department does not track the retention rate from Grade 1 to Grade 12; however, the department officially tracks the “Percentage of learners retained in the school’s system from Grades 10-12” which is a Programme Performance Indicator (Provincial) PPI 2.1 - published via the departmental Annual Report. The calculation is based on the number of Grade 12 learners divided by the number of Grade 10 learners for the same cohort (2 years earlier) as a percentage. The enrolment for Grade 10 in 2017 was 75 856 and the Grade 12 enrolment for 2019 was 51 076. Based on the calculation (51 076/75 856) the retention rate for the 2019 Grade 12 cohort was 67%.
(b) The Hon Member is surely aware that at the provincial sphere of government we are only responsible for children of school-going age (7-15). Learners who leave a school early before the age of 15 are assisted with placement in the appropriate grade by District officials at another school where possible. Overaged learners are referred to Adult Education and Training (AET) centres. The WCED also has strengthened its Second Chance Matric programme which caters for learners who have left grade 12 and wish to complete their grade 12 programme.
