The Sunday Times newspaper commissioned a study of South African schools which they released this last weekend. There is a lot of information in the report and one could spend a lot of time unpacking it. The Sunday Times chose to highlight some things that would definitely lead to a fair amount of debate, some of the classic ones being:
- same-sex versus co-ed schools, and
- girls being smarter than boys.
I’m not really very interested in venturing down either of those paths at this time, or at any time for that matter.
The report is worth a couple of blog posts but I’d like to start by just focusing on one school that was mentioned. Mbilwi Secondary School was ranked in the survey as the top science school in the country. It is a school that I have never heard and, I am quite sure, many other people had never heard of. I haven’t done any additional research on Mbilwi … yet, but there are somethings that jump out at me from the report:
- Mbilwi has large classes, and
- students have to share study guides.
Why do those fact jump out? Large classes and a lack of resources are often cited reasons for poor preformance at schools. Reading a little further they point out just how large the classes are (pupil:teacher ratio of 56:1) and that the school attributes their success to:
- identifying weak learners at the beginning of matric and providing extra support 4 days a week right up until the final exams,
- extra tuition on Saturdays, and
- focusing on more than Grade 12 but working to help learners from Grade 8.
These are the reported statistics that allowed them to achieve the top spot (Matric 2008 numbers):
- 201 Matrics cadidates
- Pass rate 100%
- Univeristy entrance 93%
- 309 A symbols
- 80% passed Maths with more than 50%
- 75% passed Science with more 50%
My take-away from this is that a lot can be done with the right attitude. If the learners didn’t want to learn the extra tuition wouldn’t mean anything, if the teachers didn’t care but were forced to provide the extra tuition they’d not do a very good job. The fact that they do it, do it well and that it is well received tells me that everyone involved with Mbilwi has reaslised that the problem is not insurmountable and that hard work can pay off, if everyone does their best working together.
Another point I can’t help but mention, EVEN THE NUMBER 1 science school in South Africa will benefit from having access to FHSST, Siyavula and OpenPress to solve their resources problems.
- Website:
- Shuttleworth Foundation
- Role:
- Fellow: Open and Collaborative Resources
In 2009, the Shuttleworth Foundation began a transition to becoming a virtual organisation that supports Fellows. I was given the opportunity to continue to manage Siyavula through 2009, as well as become a Fellow in the "new" Foundation.
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