The Grade 9 exit certificate, known as the General Education Certificate (GEC) is close to implementation. This came after more than 5 years of debate on whether it was a feasible qualification for the Basic Education system in South Africa.
During her back-to-school monitoring in Pretoria, Minister Angie Motshekga hinted that the department had moved even closer to having the certificate becoming available to learners passing Grade 9.
Similar to the National Senior Certificate (NSC), the Grade 9 examination results would also be recorded on the department’s system. Motshekga said that this decision is based on wanting to assess learners and guide their career path.
“By the time you reach Grade 12, you will have written two national examinations. We want to assess and advise you according to your interests and skills,” she said.
She emphasized that this exam does not encourage Grade 9 learners to exit school, but that this is a way to safeguard their results on the system. She added that this is to also introduce learners to a formal national examination experience before they sit for their NSC exams in Grade 12.
“It is very sad for those who dropout in Grade 11 because the only evidence that you have been in the system is your report card. We also do not want you to meet a first formal exam in Grade 12 after 12 years,” she said.
There are also concerns that learners find it easy to forge their report cards, however, she pointed out that Grade 9 dropout learners are given a completion letter that confirms that they have completed the grade.
Executive Director of teacher union NAPTOSA, Basil Manuel said the union has always accepted the idea of the GEC introduced in Grade 9. Manuel suggests that this will help in identifying the learners’ strengths and weaknesses before they choose a stream in Grade 10.
“The GEC will assist parents as well as the learners to make life choices going forward. Whether it be to continue in an academic stream or alternatively to look at vocational, technical or any other form of education,” he said.
Manuel believes that the GEC will curb school dropouts and emphasized the point made by Motshekga, that the certificate will not be an exit certificate for grade 9 learners.
“Dropout rates are increased by the fact that learners are forced into an academic system when they are not academically inclined,” he added.