IEB Matric results a reflection of the effective role that distance education plays

Distance Education Provider, Brainline, says the matric results achieved by the Independent Examinations Board, demonstrate the IEB’s dedication to providing an accredited, valid and reliable final examination on a continuous basis.

The IEB’s Class of 2019 achieved a 98.82%, pass rate after quality assurance body, Umalusi, last week approved the release of the results for a total of 11,818 full-time and 779 part-time candidates (Reference). The IEB-results were released on Tuesday, 7 January 2019

‘As an IEB-accredited distance education provider we are overjoyed with the fact that the IEB consistently manages to maintain a high matric pass rate. One of the most important factors for escaping from poverty is education. As a society we can continue to grow and prosper, but only if we allow our children access to proper education at all levels. Once again the matric exams have opened the doors for thousands to enter tertiary education while others aspire to join the active workforce says Coleen Cronje, Chief Executive Officer of Brainline.

Brainline’s students were part of this cohort of almost 12 000 candidates, who participated in the IEB’s matric exams. While the majority reside within the country’s borders, others live in other parts of the world. Cronje says the Class of 2019 outperformed its predecessors.

‘Over the last three years we have seen a systematic increase in our annual matric pass rate with this year standing at  84.61%, up from 80.31% in 2018. Almost 55% of our learners passed with university exemption. We attribute this increase to a number of factors but specifically to the introduction of virtual classes, allowing learners regular contact with, and access to, qualified teachers.’

‘We DO NOT manipulate our matric results to ensure a better outcome, by restricting enrolment into some subjects. Our results are a true reflection of the learners’ abilities and our commitment to their academic education. At Brainline we allow learners to choose their own subjects and provide them with the best support to achieve optimal results. We also accommodate many learners who may not have been able to cope in mainstream schooling.’

Cronje is extremely impressed with the overall quality of marks achieved by the learners as many scored A’s (90) and B’s (178) in their respective subjects. A handful of learners also managed to score in the Top 1% of certain subjects amongst all IEB-candidates in the country. There were also a number of top performers who managed to secure distinctions in their subjects.

Willem and Miquel Booysen also received a distinction each for Additional Maths which they completed through the Department of Basic Education. Meanwhile, Cronje has also cautioned parents and guardians to be vigilant in observing the behaviour of learners on receipt of their results as some may not be able to cope with the disappointment of less than the optimal results.

‘A less than optimal result is not the end of the world and parents should play an active role in providing perspective to their children. At Brainline we give learners, whether they are our own students or from other institutions and schools, the opportunity to redo individual subjects or Grade 12 as a whole, to improve their results.’

Brainline has provided structured home education on a distance education model to thousands of learners since 1990. Home education in South Africa has experienced significant growth over the last few years. At the end of 2018 there were an estimated 100,000 home education learners in the country (Reference).