Cape Town - The Western Cape Education Department says it will focus on reducing the number of underperforming schools in the province this year, following an inspiring performance in the 2011 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
The NSC pass rate in the province jumped from 76.8% in 2010 to 82.9% in 2011.
Some of the schools which were previously underperforming also drew surprises last year.
The Imizamo Yethu Secondary School in George improved its pass rate from 27% in 2010 to 82% in 2011, while Masiyele Secondary School in Khayelitsha shot up from a pass rate of 34% in 2010 to 86.8% in 2011.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Education MEC Donald Grant said good results could only be attained through hard work, teachers being in class on time and learners having enough learning material.
He said that in the 2012 academic year, the department would not only focus on maintaining the good performance but also improving the results of those schools that did not do so well.
"We are pleased with the overall outcome of the 2011 NSC examinations and are aware of the steps that need to be taken to improve the quality of education in the Western Cape even further.
"In the coming weeks, we will conduct a detailed analysis of the 2011 NSC results to ensure that we continue to take the steps needed to improve education outcomes in the Western Cape."
Grant said the good progress made in improving education outcomes since 2009 was the product of a maturing provincial education system.
"We believe that this progress can be sustained through the continued promotion and protection of teaching and learning time."
