VOALearningEnglish2012.4.2---High Dropout Rate a Problem for South Africa

VOALearningEnglish2012.4.2---High Dropout Rate a Problem for South Africa

High Dropout Rate a Problem for South Africa
This is the VOA Special English Education Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish

Since the nineteen nineties, education has been required for all South Africans from age seven to fifteen. Last December, the government announced that seventy percent of students passed their final examination to finish high school. In two thousand eight the passage rate was about sixty-three percent. There have been increases each year since then. Professor Shireen Motala at the University of Johannesburg says access to basic education is no longer the problem in South Africa. She says most children stay in school until they are about sixteen. The problem now, she says, is that large numbers of them leave without completing high school. Students take an examination known as the matric in grade twelve, their final or "matriculation" year. But Professor Motala says only around forty-five percent of the children who started school in two thousand sat for the matric last year. South Africa has a twenty-four percent unemployment rate. Those who drop out must compete with better educated people for jobs. Educational researchers also point to another problem. They say South African schools do not produce enough students with the skills for higher education in math and science. Researcher Graeme Bloch says many schools are not well-equipped. "The reality of poverty," he says, is that many children do not see laboratories or libraries at school. "Ninety-two percent of the schools do not have libraries." Also, education specialists say in many cases, teachers and school principals do not have the skills or training to do their jobs. In other cases, they are simply not doing their duty to provide an education. Professor Motala says a number of teachers were poorly trained during the system of apartheid, or racial separation in South Africa. Apartheid ended in nineteen ninety-four. Secondly, she says, teachers have been confused by the many educational reform efforts in the last fifteen years. And, finally, she thinks language differences in the classroom have not gotten as much attention as they should. Subjects such as math and science are taught in English starting at about age ten. But South Africa has eleven official languages and many more unofficial ones. South Africa's minister of basic education promises a number of improvements. Angie Motshega says teacher development efforts will focus on subject and content knowledge, and making sure the correct teachers are in the correct jobs. For VOA Special English, I'm Carolyn Presutti.

(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 08Mar2012)


輟學率很高的南非問題
這是VOA特別英語教育報導，從http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish

19世紀90年代以來，教育一直要求所有南非從7歲到十五。去年12月，政府宣布，百分之七十的學生通過期末考試，完成高中學業。在二00八年通過率約為63％。已逐年增加，自那時以來。 Shireen穆塔拉在約翰內斯堡大學教授說，普及基礎教育已不再是在南非的問題。她說，大多數孩子留在學校，直到他們都約十六。現在的問題是，她說，他們的大批沒有完成高中學業離開。學生們稱為基質在十二年級，他們最終或“預科”今年的考試。但穆塔拉教授說，只有大約四五個％，在兩千年開始上學的孩子們坐在基質去年。南非有24％的失業率。誰輟學，必須受過良好教育的人就業競爭。教育研究人員還指出，另一個問題。他們說，南非的學校沒有產生足夠的學生具有較高的數學和科學教育的技能。研究員格雷姆·布洛赫說，許多學校都沒有裝備精良。 “貧困的現實，”他說，就是沒有看到許多孩子在學校實驗室或圖書館。 “九十二％的學校沒有圖書館。”此外，教育專家說，在許多情況下，教師和校長沒有技能或培訓，以做好本職工作。在其他情況下，他們根本就沒有做他們的職責，以提供教育。穆塔拉教授說，在種族隔離制度，或在南非的種族分離的系統培訓教師不好。種族隔離結束在19九十四。其次，她說，老師已經混淆​​許多在過去15年教育的改革努力。 ，最後，她認為在課堂上的語言上的差異並沒有得到盡可能多的關注，因為他們應該。數學和科學等科目均以英語授課，十歲左右開始。但南非有11種官方語言和許多非官方的。南非基礎教育部長承諾了多項改進。安吉Motshega說，教師專業發展的努力將集中在主題和內容的知識，並確保在正確的工作是正確的教師。美國之音特別英語，我：卡羅琳Presutti。

（改編自一個電台節目中播出08Mar2012）