NEHAWU: Government needs to improve the quality of rural education
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers union (NEHAWU) says it's very concerned about the state of education at rural schools that continue to perform poorly in the matric results.
Basic Education Minister, Dr Angie Motshekga, announced the national matric certificate results on Thursday evening.
The class of 2018 recorded a pass rate of 78,2%, a 3.1% improvement from 2017.
Urban provinces fared the best - with Gauteng at the top with a pass rate of 87.7 %, followed by the Free State and the Western Cape.
Limpopo achieved the lowest pass rate at 69,4%, followed by the Eastern Cape at 70,6% and the Northern Cape on 73,3%.
NEHAWU spokesperson Khaya Xaba says government needs to improve the quality of schooling in rural areas.
"The most important thing for government to focus on is infrastructure that would be the schooling premises and the education material.
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"The teaching staff as well. Rememberr many teachers don't take a position in the rural area because of the backwardness of the area. Teachers should be given what we call a rural allowance, whereby if you take a position in the rural area you get an allowance that will attract them to work in rural areas, " Xaba said.