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Although the 1996 matriculation results in the North West Province were favourable, serious resource, service and equipment shortages have a negative effect on the condition of primary and secondary education in the province, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) reports in a series of nine provincial publications dealing with this issue. In 1996 almost 70% of Grade12 learners in North West passed the matriculation examination, which places the province third in the country ? the Northern Cape being second and the Western Cape first. The matric pass rate in North West was highest for biology, second highest for English and sixth highest for mathematics and physical science. The Longitudinal Survey of Scholastic Achievement ? which aims to provide information on the level of knowledge and understanding of mathematics, science and English at Grade 9 level ? showed that, compared to the other provinces, North West had the fourth best means for science and English, but the fourth lowest mean for mathematics. The provincial reports provide information about an education database at individual school level and they include data from several HSRC projects such as the School Register of Needs Survey, the Longitudinal Survey of Scholastic Achievement, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the HSRC's Register of Graduates. The educational indicators included in this series of publications provide information on the condition of educational facilities and the extent of the educational provision. The availability of resources, materials, equipment and services is also discussed. Indicators of the outputs of the educational system are the matriculation results, the findings of the Longitudinal Survey of Scholastic Achievement in Mathematics, Science and English, and lastly, the results of the TIMSS. "Reliable and accessible information on education is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for informed decisions on policy and priorities in education", Mr Charles Sheppard, Director of Education and Training Information Systems at the HSRC said. He added that regularly updated information on strategic educational indicators could facilitate planning, delivery and monitoring of educational provisioning in South Africa and benefit policy makers, managers and students alike. The School Register of Needs Survey ? constituting one of the most extensive data-gathering and information analysis projects in the country which was conducted at 32 000 schools in 1996 ? revealed serious shortcomings in the North West education system. Although less than 10% of the schools were considered unsuitable for teaching, more than 80% of the schools in the province was without equipped home economics rooms, libraries, laboratories, indoor water supply and fencing. Telecommunication facilities and electricity were needed by more than half of the schools. Just over 5% of the schools in the province had no sanitation facilities, and in more than 50% of them a pit latrine system was in use. More than three-quarters of the schools in North West lacked resources such as media equipment, media collections, general equipment and materials. The best provided resource was stationery ? more than half of the schools were stocked adequately ? and textbooks were also fairly well supplied. However, a shortage of 126 759 learner desks and chairs was recorded in the province. Data for certain socio-economic variables, for example the availability of electricity and running water in the house, water-borne sewerage and a separate bedroom for the learner, were also collected. An average ranking of these variables indicated that North West was worst off compared to the rest of the country. The percentage of over-age learners (i.e. three or more years older than the average for the grade, with the average for Grade 1 seven years) in North West was also relatively high. Nearly 20% of learners in the primary grades were over age, and this proportion iincreased to more than 26% in the secondary grades. Educators made up 90% of the staff complement, and for most of the districts the learner:classroom ratio was fair at below 40:1. The learner:educator ratio ranged between 31:1 and 40:1 in the southern and western parts of the province, while in a substantial part of the province it was less than 30:1. A comparison of the 1985 and 1994 data recorded in the HSRC's Register of Graduates reveals that the proportion of white graduates in North West decreased substantially, while the proportion of African graduates increased substantially over this period. Only small changes occurred in the percentage of coloured and Indian graduates. The percentage of graduates in the management and human sciences increased, while that for medical and natural sciences decreased over the period in question.
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