IEB 2016 pass rate up from last year to 98.67%

© Leszek Glasner – 123RF.com

The increase in the number of examination venues to 237 from 209 in 2015 is due to 10 new schools joining the IEB, as well as the fact that some institutions operate nationally with multiple examination venues to accommodate learners around the country. These are predominantly distance education institutions and operate in a manner similar to UNISA.

Umalusi monitored all aspects of the 2016 examination process and declared the results as fair and valid. The 2016 IEB examinations have been conducted without any incidents that challenge the integrity of the process or the credibility of the results.

Protecting the integrity of education

The incidence of dishonesty across many education systems is on the increase. In South Africa, the past few years have exposed schools whose interest in cheating far exceeds their desire to equip learners with the skills and knowledge they need. The IEB has prioritised the protection of its examinations from breaches of security as far as possible, using sophisticated technology and emphasising the ethical role that educators must play in building an ethical society. The IEB is conscious that any examination system is only as strong at the weakest link in the integrity chain, and is fortunate to have a strong record in the absolute protection of its examination process.

“Parents should be vigilant that the school they choose for their children upholds the highest ethical values that they would want their children to subscribe to. There are a number of associations to which independent schools may belong that assure the public of the bona fides of their member schools. Such associations include the Independent Schools Association of South Africa (ISASA), the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) as well as a number of religious school associations such as the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Muslim and Jewish schools. Groups of schools committed to quality education, associated with the IEB, include the Curro schools, some brands in the Advtech group as well as the REDDAM schools. Furthermore parents should check the registration status of the school with the relevant provincial department of education, and should the school be offering the NSC examination, it is critical for parents to check the accreditation status of the school with Umalusi,” advises Anne Oberholzer, CEO of the IEB.

Advanced Programmes

The Advanced Programme courses are extension courses in Mathematics, English and Afrikaans. They are available to any learner in South Africa attending either state or IEB schools, who chooses to participate. The assessment has been benchmarked by UK NARIC, the UK equivalent of the South African Qualifications Authority, and are considered equivalent to the UK A-levels. The performance of the class of 2016 in AP Mathematics, consisting of 1407 learners from IEB schools and 1275 learners in state schools has been very pleasing with 87,9% achieving a pass above 40%, compared to 87,7% in 2015. From a total of 652 learners offering AP English, 98,12% achieved a pass mark of 40% and above, while all learners offering AP Afrikaans achieved a mark of 40% and above.

Combined Abitur-NSC 2016

The Combined Abitur-NSC is a qualification offered by the German Schools in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. The qualification consists of five subjects assessed by the IEB and seven subjects assessed by the German Education authorities. Through this government-to-government agreement, successful learners in the Combined Abitur-NSC are recognised by German education authorities for entry to German universities and by the South African education authorities for entry to South African universities. Of the 66 candidates who offered this qualification, all passed with entry to degree study.

Re-marks

The closing date for the application for re-marks is 10 January 2017 and the results from re-marking will be released on 1 February 2017. The closing date for learners who qualify to enroll for the supplementary examination to do so, is 6 February 2017.