Multiple distinctions aside, matric is harder than ever

It has become commonplace, especially at this time of year in “results season”, to hear the following declaration and many others like it: “When I was at school, no-one got these results. Is matric easier nowadays?”

The question, although cynical, is a good one. There has undoubtedly been a sharp increase in the amount of distinctions matric students have received over the past decade. In the 1990s and early 2000s, getting six distinctions set you apart and today, it appears to be far more achievable. There are only three possible conclusions to be drawn from this observation – kids today are smarter; matric is far easier; or children just work harder. Although all of us Jewish parents would like to believe our children are genii, I don’t think this is the case. I would like to argue that matric is in fact more challenging than it has ever been, and our students achieve incredible results because their work ethic has increased in proportion to the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate requirements.

In the late 1990s, the government rolled out Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in order to democratise education and introduce a progressive, student-led system of education for the masses with a focus on critical thinking. This system would attempt to minimise the amount of rote learning and prepare students for the rapidly changing new world. Sadly, this very noble curriculum reform failed largely due to poor implementation – poorly resourced schools, lack of teacher development, and some deeper rooted systemic problems.

While the reform OBE hoped to achieve never materialised, the importance of critical thinking in education and assessment remained. Since then, matric requirements have become more intense and onerous each year – increasing from a mandatory six subjects to seven; greater content load; higher levels of enquiry and sophistication of student response; and varied and challenging assessment have become the norm.

The slow introduction and implementation of these higher standards coincided with a far more competitive tertiary environment. Limited spaces, quotas, and a trend of seeking to study abroad – for prestige and as a first step to successful emigration – raised the stakes and imperative of excelling in matric. These trends have continued and become even more challenging over the past decade.

Hence, unlike us, their predecessors, matric students are indeed confronted with more difficult examinations to write coupled with greater uncertainty when it comes to getting into university courses of their choice. This has culminated in an immense amount of pressure on these young people. It’s the primary driver behind the heightened anxiety and the infuriating – and exorbitant – curse of extra lessons which has become so prevalent. Even the top academic students go for extra lessons, something unheard of in the 1990s.

This anxiety and pressure are something that educators need to be mindful of, grapple with, and find ways to mitigate. As Confidence Dikgole, the chief executive of the Independent Examinations Board said in a TimesLive interview recently, “What, however, is not often talked about, is the tremendous pressure brought to bear on learners by society. Schools’ experience with young people points to escalating mental health issues, which is perhaps one of the greatest challenges our youngsters face and does have an impact on their ability to perform at their peak in a high-stakes examination. Mental well-being is directly linked to the stress society is placing on our young people to perform, to get top results, and secure spots in top tertiary institutions. The competition is huge, and this is a global issue not unique to the South African context.”

There are many layers to this topic, and the incredible success and superb results do have some negative by-products.

However, when all is said and done, the matrics of this era are shooting the lights out, and not because matric is easier. It’s because they are driven to succeed and work so hard to achieve that success. They are strong, resilient, and tenacious – so many wonderful attributes that weren’t demanded of previous generations.

They have earned their accolades. Each and every one of those manifold distinctions.

Let’s put this question to bed.

Mazeltov matrics! We’re so proud of you all.

• Rabbi Ricky Seeff is general director of the South African Jewish Board of Education and former principal of King David Primary School Victory Park.