Rhodes University

22 hours ago

"In my opinion, the most impressive statistic of all that is presented in this analysis is the retention rate achieved in Makhanda in 2024," - says Dr Ashley Westaway, General Manager of Gadra Education.

See more here: grocotts.ru.ac.za/2025/01/15/numbers-way-up-but-percentages-lag-behind-in-the-2024-makhanda-matri...[ANALYSIS] Numbers way up but percentages lag behind in the 2024 Makhanda matric results

By Ashley Westaway

In January 2024, the city’s education community adopted a vision statement: “By 2028, Makhanda emerges as the leading academic educational centre and city in South Africa and is recognised as such, thereby affording all local children and young people the benefit of good quality and relevant education at pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary levels.”

This analysis of the performance of our schools and students in the 2024 National Senior Certificate examinations gauges the extent to which we have made progress towards reaching this ambitious objective over the past twelve months. The methodology that I use for the annual review of matric results is balanced and comprehensive in that it uses a variety of indicators, involving both percentages and numbers, and it considers both the quantity and quality of local performance.

The most appropriate starting point for an analysis of Matric results is the cohort size. The size of the cohort indicates the ability of the local schooling system to retain its learners and prevent their drop-out.

In my opinion, the most impressive statistic of all that is presented in this analysis is the retention rate achieved in Makhanda in 2024.

883 young people sat the exams in local public schools in October/ November. This translates into a retention rate of 74%. In other words, out of every four children who were enrolled for Grade 1 in 2013, three wrote the NSC examinations last year.

As a city, we have come on in leaps and bounds over the past five years in relation to retention. In 2020, only 540 local students wrote their final examinations, representing a 45% retention rate. The comparison provides us with clear assurance that public schools in Makhanda, across the length and breadth of our city, have improved significantly in the recent period.

337 more young people progressed all way through primary and secondary schooling to reach Matric in 2024 than five years earlier. The retention rate in Makhanda has literally skyrocketed over this brief period from 45% to 74%. The significance of our retention performance is underlined when considering that the national statistic in this regard is 62%. Our city is therefore 12 percentage points higher than the South Africa as a whole.

In 2020, the fee-paying sector enrolled 172 matriculants, whilst last year the tally crept up to 180. By contrast, in 2020 the fee-exempt sector registered 368 matriculants and by last year, the total leapt up to 703.

In other words, the number of matriculants in the fee-exempt sector (comprising Khutliso Daniels,
Mary Waters, Nathaniel Nyaluza, Nombulelo, Ntsika and TEM Mrwetyana) almost doubled. Numbers have increased significantly at each of the six aforementioned schools.

As a city, we thus owe the fee-exempt schools, both primary and secondary schools, a great debt of gratitude for having enabled the massive improvement in learner retention.

In order to understand how we have improved the retention rate from 45% to 74% in five years, we must in fact turn attention to primary schooling. Final year Rhodes University Bachelor of Education (BEd) students assess the comprehension ability of Grade 4 learners in our public schools on an annual basis, under professional management.

The 2023 and 2024 studies have shown that Makhanda is considerably more literate than South Africa at large. The most basic foundations of academic education are literacy and numeracy. A prerequisite for progression to matric is functional literacy. Our primary schools are doing a good job in teaching our children to read, write and comprehend. This success is directly reflected in the surging higher numbers of Makhanda matriculants.

Follow the link below to read the full article.

grocotts.ru.ac.za/2025/01/15/numbers-way-up-but-percentages-lag-behind-in-the-2024-makhanda-matri... ... See MoreSee Less

Rhodes University

2 days ago

[OPINION]: Funding of public higher education institutions is in crisis mode. This time of year forces many families to confront a critical question: how will they finance university studies?

We call on the state and the private sector to prioritise sustainable funding for public higher education. The current National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) model lacks long-term viability and requires urgent reassessment.

✍️Prof Sizwe Mabizela (VC: Rhodes University) & Prof Thandwa Mthethwa (VC: Durban University of Technology

🔗https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-01-19-vice-chancellors-funding-of-public-higher-education-institutions-is-in-crisis-mode/ ... See MoreSee Less

Rhodes University

1 week ago

Congratulations to the Matric Class of 2024! Your hard work, determination, and resilience have led you to this incredible milestone. As you step into the next chapter, remember that the journey ahead is full of endless possibilities. Looking forward to having you as part of the Rhodes University family! ... See MoreSee Less

Rhodes University

1 week ago

Amanda Luthuli, 19, is pursuing her dream of improving lives through healthcare as a pharmacy student at Rhodes University. With support from the Hillensberg Trust Bursary, she’s overcome financial challenges and aims to inspire others. Help more students like Amanda by donating to Rhodes University’s bursary fund. #Isivivane

Read her story here: www.ru.ac.za/latestnews/isivivaneinspirationamandaluthulipursuingadreaminhealthcarewiththe-1.html ... See MoreSee Less