Katlego Sekhu
The Matric Class of 2023 has received praise for achieving an 82.9% pass rate, which is a 2.8% improvement from the previous year. Many schools have managed to achieve a 100% pass rate, leading the team to discuss whether a school’s performance should influence parents’ decisions on where to send their children. They also touched on other factors that parents consider when making this important decision.
Mpho Maboi shared that when she was choosing a school for her kids, she went through the overall academic performance of the school. “Not just in matriculation, because there are certain schools that will push kids into matriculation even though they might not be ready for it. Even with that, I feel our placement system makes it very difficult for parents to select the schools they want their kids to go to.”
Sol Phenduka, on the other hand, believes that a school’s past is not as crucial as its core values. “I look at the learning environment. The resources of the school, traditions, and culture of the school. Sometimes all these things can be there, and all the kids failing could be on them and not the school.”
Nomfundo Mabalane shared her perspective, stating that she considers a combination of factors when choosing a school. “I also look at the core values of the school because I want to experience a certain culture. For me, those things matter. Performance is a big consideration. And then, I suppose, you also look at the fees because you would have planned as a family to remain within a set bracket,” said Mabalane.
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