The North West’s education department expressed disappointment at the poor showing by pupils in the foundation phases following the dismal performances in the annual national assessment (ANA) results.

The province was ranked eighth, with most of the grades scoring way below the national average marks.

The results were released during a press conference in Mahikeng yesterday and department officials said much work had to be done to improve education in the province.

The most worrying factor is the progressive decline in mathematics marks.

Kids in Grade1 managed to score an average of 63.3% against the national average of 68.1% while those in Grade9 managed a paltry 11.2% against an equally appalling national average of 12.7%.

Education MEC Louisa Mabe said the department was hugely disappointed in the results and would bid to devise ways to improve in the coming year.

“We have not performed well and this situation needs more effort on our part – and we would look at ways of monitoring classroom activities to see what is really happening,” she said.

Mabe said the trend where subject marks declined, the higher the grade, would spell disaster for the province if not addressed urgently.

“We have been putting more effort on the first phase and the grade 12 level but it is time we begin to apply intervention across the board because the results of our Grade9 class are very bad.

“This means we need a crop of managers who go down to assess and monitor activities in schools to make an impact and turn around this situation,” she said.

The MEC also called on school principals to make a better effort, adding that those who failed to show leadership would be forced out.

“We need principals who instil discipline and a good ethos at their schools because dedicated leaders can make a difference.

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