Mbombela - Despite a three-week teachers' strike and disruptions caused by the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mpumalanga's matric pass rate increased by nearly 9 percent last year.
Provincial education MEC, Reginah Mhaule, announced on Thursday that the pass rate rose 8.9 percent from 47.9 percent, which was the lowest in the country in 2009, to 56.8 percent in 2010.
"We appreciate the effort and hard work in the midst of the 2010 soccer-mania and the prolonged August 2010 industrial action within the civil services sector," she said.
Mhaule attributed the increase in results to interventions that included, among others, a winter school programme, weekend classes and study camps, a Spring holiday programme, the implementation of a dial-a-tutor programme and radio lessons.
She said her department was determined to raise the matric pass rate to 70 percent in the years ahead. "To do this, we will have to change the way we work (and) be smarter, faster, innovative and professional at all times," she said.
She said the number of schools that achieved a 100 percent matric pass rate rose from 10 to 12.
The number of schools that achieved a matric pass rate of 20 percent or less decreased massively from 66 in 2009 to just 17 in 2010.
The pass rate improved in all the province's districts, with the biggest overall improvement being in the Bohlabela district, which includes Bushbuckridge, where the matric pass rate rose from 28.4 percent in 2009 to 40.1 percent in 2010.
Mhaule said that to improve results in 2011, the department would start with exam preparation and support as early as 15 January.
The Schooling Transformation and Reform Strategy (Stars) will also be finalised to improve the provision of early childhood development, raise literacy and numeracy levels, and improve the quality of maths and science teaching.
Stars also aims to eradicate dysfunctional schools and turn around schools that performed poorly.
Meanwhile, top schools and pupils will be recognised at a provincial awards ceremony on 14 January.
