The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has rejected calls by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi for a single examination system for matriculants.
Lesufi has been advocating for a unified examination system, where students from private and public schools would write the same exams.
However, speaking to a weekend publication Gwarube believes that this proposal is not a priority and that her department should instead focus on improving the quality of education in public schools.
Gwarube said that the current system allowed for different examination frameworks, which cater to the diverse needs of students.
She also pointed out that the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and the public education system have different strengths and weaknesses, and that a single examination system would not necessarily address these differences.
“There is nothing to gain by saying there should be one exam; the numbers are small at an Independent Examinations Board and South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute level,” Gwarube reportedly said.
Gwarube, who said it was not an achievable solution, has met Lesufi's proposal with scepticism.
She further argued that the numbers of students writing the IEB exams are small compared to those in the public education system, and that a single examination system would not necessarily improve the quality of education.
The debate around the single examination system has been ongoing, with some arguing that it would level the playing field and provide a more equitable education system.
However, others believe that it would be impractical and would not address the underlying issues in the education system.
Lesufi’s argument for the one exam system was that there was a need for equitable education standards across different schooling systems.
He said it would create a fair and inclusive educational environment where every student would be assessed under the same standards.
“We really believe that if you have a child or a school that is an informal school like Lufhereng and it can give us a 96 bachelor pass rate and learners that are giving you six distinctions including Mswawenkosi Buthelezi who is the top achiever, this calls for all of us to push for one examination because the regulator (Umalusi) is the same and the pass mark is the same.
“Even at university we get to write the same exam. So, we are saying, why do we not prepare our learners early, have them write the same exam at university but they can't do that in high school,” Lesufi said.