Matric results 2009

Matric results 2009.
Bloomberg carried the story yesterday. South African Matric results down for the 6th consecutive year, fueling unemployment.

Are we a nation of idiots.
Given the average IQ statistics, we seem to confirm it year after year.
Remember Google “average IQ” and we got the following global results:

112 average for eastern nations like Japan
100 average for European and American nations
79 average for African Americans
70 average for Africa….includes all of us.

Looking at the global Math’s and Science Olympics, and our results obtained, makes one wonder.

Given the answers we get from the tote re comingle pools and funny results, makes one wonder.

Given the punters asking advice from jockeys with std 5 makes one wonder.

Given the way our parastatals like Eskom, SABC, Spoornet are run, makes one wonder.

Given the way the local municipalities are run, makes one wonder.

Given the way our banks are run, credit rating -C, makes one wonder.

Looking at subjects such as History, Economics, Business Economics, Art etc.
A person can take these subject up during the last year of school and still pass.
History, a mere question of reading the book, remembering some of the dates, names and details.
How difficult can it be.
After all, one only needs to get 40 % to pass.

The only 2 subjects were a little more effort is required, most students shun away from.
Math’s and science.
Algebra.
Algebra is to get a person to understand the problem or challenge first.
Then once understood, a method can be selected that will best solve the problem.

Ask any Matric math’s teacher or student the following question :

How many ways can an algebra problem be resolved.
Very few or any will be able to answer.

1. Factorize
2. Completion of the square
3. Substitution
4. Graphically
5. Formula


Have we always been a nation of idiots.
No.
I wrote matric in 1978, and few or any of today’s students will pass my 1978 exam paper.

Another point to prove it.
During the late 70’s and 80’s VZAP started.
An IT training company.

To qualify for the training, a 8 hour aptitude test consisting of 3 or 4 modules had to be written.
The pass mark was 80% if you wanted to make the grade.
1000’s wrote and about 80 made the grade each year.
Later years we formed the CUC and guys had to write a CUC exam.
One could buy the last 5 years of exam paper with model answers, yet the pas rate was 12 to 14 % per year.

It was abolished during the mid 90’s..
Hence the South African IT industry got flooded by idiots that would not have made the grade had the checks and balances stayed.
Argue as much as you like, I have consulted at +72 of the JSE listed companies.
The corporate word has gone backwards in the last 20 years.
Got flooded by idiots.
From CEO to cleaner level.

Relax, I have met clever people.
Smarter than myself.
Many, but the exception to the rule.
Derek Bruggman, Greg Blank, Dr Willie Boshoff to name a few.

Soon we will see the South African Corporate market follow the same pattern as the USA.
These idiots will get new titles.
President.
Senior Vice President.
We could even get VP security – the shiftleader security at Turfontein race track.

Jockeys finish there schooling in the academy, right up to matric. If you like I could scan my matric certificate and post it here for you. Infact all the apprentices passed matric in my era at the academy (88-92) We wrote the exam from the Natal Education department, exactly the same as any normal matriculent would of written in any other school. Not bad considering we were waking up at 4.30 in the morning, riding work, race riding and doing stables in the afternoons. Hence doing night school as well. So for you to say punters taking advice from jockeys who only have std 5 is unfair. Anyway, what advice do you want from us?? To go and back a horse or what we can do to stop the climate change??

Are they not doing away with the schooling at the academy? Apprentices need to have completed Std 8 before coming to the academy and will only focus on riding. Is this true?

It's also scary to hear the IEB pass rate was 97.2%, yet overall only 62% passed. We need decent teachers - as a parent, private schools is the ONLY way to go

.

Look, it doesn't take algebra to ride a horse.

Most of the top jocks are not fools.

There are not many things where you can be both an idiot and successful.

I have to agree with Jack. However, smarts and an education are not the same thing. I have seen people with multiple university degrees do some very silly things!

I recently took my dog to a vet (not easy to become one I'm sure)He is well respected and is over 60. He miss diagnosed my dog twice and told me to put her down - luckily I used the net and a five minute search produced the correct diagnosis(I printed the diagnosis and was told my dog did not suffer from that illness) which was confirmed by another vet who treated her and two months later she's better than ever. Sometimes just a little common sense is worth far more than a wall full of paper. I personally think my 11 year-old daughter has a far greater general knowledge than I ever had as she's exposed to so much more info than I ever was due to the prevalance of DSTV and the Net. These kids may still shock us all!!

Mr H, that's called progress. Every inventor and discoverer came up with something that his/her parents did not. Some of them were probably not the best at school, to return to the opening post.

Well put Magic but I'll say that I was not under near as much pressure as these kids - twenty extramurals, Sport, social life(SMS life!!) and all before you hit 12!!I do however hope that none of them find a way to prolong the human existence to 150years (I saw futurist proclaim this on DSTV) as I can't bear the thought of maybe having to punt for another 110 years!!!

Won't be any racecourses left by then, Mr H. Decades of Virtual Racing beckon...rather shoot me now. Even Hell can't be worse than that.

fail to see how any teacher is going to get a student to do better at subjects like history..
teacher has to read the book..
teacher was not there in history...hope not..
student needs to read book...
student needs to read book again...
and again..
and again..
and again..
same applies to biology...
same applies to economics..
same applies to business economics..
you dont need a teacher for these subjects..
you need books and students that can READ AND REMEMBER..

so what is the problem..
cannot READ..
or cannot REMEMBER...
or both...