The smaller the number of learners in class the better the teaching and output, right? Sadly, that is not the case for South Africa’s public schools.
Almost all schools that performed badly in the 2018 matric results have low learner numbers.
Even the 12 schools that achieved 0% had fewer matrics sitting exams.
Hurting these schools is that they are supplied fewer teachers because of their low learner population.
The Basic Education Department uses a model that allocates teachers based on the number of learners.
Unions have decried this model for many years.
On the other hand, the department believes smaller schools should be closed and merged with others.
None of the 0% schools, three in Limpopo and nine in KwaZulu-Natal, had more than 20 learners sitting the exam. The 0% schools included Senwane at GaMolekwa, Limpopo, which saw only 12 sitting exams and Letshega-Malokwane, which also had 12.
One wrote at KwaZulu-Natal-based Sibonginhlanhla Secondary, while seven wrote at Maweni Secondary.
Fewer learner numbers was also a common feature among schools achieving as badly as 20% and lower. These included Mgwempisi Combined in KwaZulu-Natal, which obtained 20% out of 25 that wrote.
Mothibisi Public School in Eastern Cape achieved 11.5% out of 26 that wrote. Bhongolethu had one matric passing out of 10 who sat.
There were hundreds of small rural schools across the country that performed dismally.
Mugwena Maluleke of the SA Democratic Teachers Union said the department’s teacher-supply model excludes learners in these small, rural schools from attaining quality education.
“You have a situation where schools qualify for a teacher-learner ratio of 1:35. With learners that are 10 or 20 in a school, many do not fall in that category.
“You find that learners in those schools are taught by one or two teachers for all subjects,” Maluleke said.
A few small schools have beaten the odds despite poor teacher supply.
Ndwakazana Combined School in rural KwaZulu-Natal was one, achieving a 78.6% pass rate from 28 learners that wrote.
A source at Ndwakazana said the feat was pulled off due to the hard work of the teachers. The school has only five for Grades 10, 11 and 12. Each grade has seven subjects.
Ndwakazana has only nine teachers for Grades R to 12. “We pulled this 78.6% off by pure dedication. Not having enough teachers is difficult.
“We do wish to have more teachers. But we don’t know if we ever will. We’ve not had teachers for a long time, and it’s not like our learner numbers will improve,” the source said.
The shortage of teachers hurt Ndwakazana’s pass rate in 2017. It achieved just 40.6% out of 32 learners who wrote that year.
“We had roped in a former learner who had just passed matric to teach Business Studies. Unfortunately, she fell pregnant during the year and learners were left with no teacher for the subject.”
The department said it had a plan to address the crisis.
“We’ve been closing them down. We’ve been rationalising and
merging them,” spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said.
He cited the construction of public boarding schools in Mpumalanga as one of the interventions.
“When a school is small it might have just three teachers. You can’t give them more because one teacher could be teaching two learners in a classroom.
“You can’t give each learner their own teacher. Rationalisation and merging has to help us address this issue,” Mhlanga said.
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