Comparative Analysis of South Africa and the United States:

Expectations of Graduating Seniors in the US and in South Africa

In the United States, academic standards and benchmarks are set and every year
schools work to meet, and in some cases exceed, these standards. Students work
consistently throughout the school year, and their progress is measured through in-class
quizzes and exams as well as through state- and nationwide exams. Standards are set high,
and students work to meet them. In South Africa, students are also required to meet
certain expectations, but through observations I have found these expectations are very
different in comparison to those in the United States. Students who are preparing to
matriculate, or graduate from high school, are required to have mastered only a small
portion of the material to graduate. Through this, I have come to conclude that academic
expectations of high school students in South Africa are lower than those of students in
the United States. High schools in South Africa not only have low requirements for their
students to finish high school, but there are low expectations concerning what students
pursue after they have graduated. With expectations being set so low, one comes to
wonder if low expectations are beneficial to students and may conclude that they are not.
These conclusions are being made based on my observations at South Peninsula High
School in Cape Town and my conversations with teachers at the school. With this in
mind, this opinion is not an attempt to categorize the entire country of South Africa, as
my research has been restricted to one particular school and is not broad enough to make
such generalizations.

In South Africa, it is required that students have at least a 30% in order to receive
a passing grade on assignments, projects, tests, and at least a 30% to 40% in their Matric
exam subjects (South African National Department of Education, 2005). At South
Peninsula, students on average perform much higher than the minimum, but according to
the national Department of Education they still only need a 30% to pass. Teachers and
administrators at South Peninsula require that students are held to a 50% pass rate, but it
is still minuscule compared to what students need to get into college. In the Western Cape
province, most universities require students to have a pass rate of at least 50-60% on their
final senior exams to even be considered for admission. Even before college admissions
are considered, students continue through high school ill prepared for the next grade
because they have barely mastered the material from the previous grade. Many teachers
that I have spoken with feel that even though the standard for students to pass is set low,
it offers the opportunity for more students to finish high school where they may not have
otherwise. Even though this standard gives more students the chance to graduate from
high school, it hinders their opportunities to pursue higher education.
Most high schools in the United States encourage their students to work to earn
their high school diploma, and in most cases attend a college or university. Many US
high schools also provide resources for students who do not wish to attend college right
away, but overall emphasis is put on students graduating from high school. In South
Africa, heavy emphasis is put on students writing and passing their Matric exams the first
time. At South Peninsula, many of the math teachers work on problems from past Matric
exams in order to prepare their senior students for their upcoming Matric exam. Students
all over the nation spend countless hours studying for the Matric with hopes of passing
and completing high school. From my observations at South Peninsula and conversations
with teachers, though the ultimate goal is for students to matriculate, it is not the only
option. Students have the option of leaving high school in 10
th
grade to pursue a trade of
some sort and earn certification in that trade. This option is sometimes offered to those
that may not be doing well academically, and is seen as a way out for them. Also, if
students are only passing their classes with a 30%, they may not feel as though they can
go on to university without the proper resources and support and instead choose to pursue
a trade as a secure option. In comparison to the US, it seems as though expectations for
students post-matric are not very high. As students write and pass their exams, many are
expected by both teachers and family members to start working right away. These low
expectations could stem from many circumstances, including the following: parents may
not be able to afford to send students to college, low passing rates make students
ineligible for financial aid, or students may not feel as though they cannot personally
excel at university. From what I have seen during my time at South Peninsula High and
in South Africa in general, very little is expected from students in terms of passing their
classes and their post-Matric plans. With this in mind, one may wonder if these low
expectations truly encourage students to reach their highest potential.
Overall, I believe that holding students to low standards severely stunts their
potential. Students may be underperforming because there is a lack of resources in their
schools or because of issues outside of school, but most of all it is because they are not
held to a standard of high achievement. Earning a 30% should not even be an option for
students to pass high school. With the right resources and efforts, students who may not
usually perform academically can pass with rates of at least 70% if it is expected of them.
Having a low pass rate makes it easier for more students to graduate from high school,
but it causes them to not be prepared for university academics not because they are
unable, but because they have not been held to that standard. In the United States,
students must pass with at least a 60%, which some may argue is because students in the
US have access to more resources (after school tutoring, interactive lessons, etc.) that
enable them to understand the material. Even though this may be the case, many schools
without proper resources in the US are able to produce high test scores and improve
academic understand morale because it is expected that students work to their full
potential and work to meet and exceed the schools expectations. In the 90-90-90 Study,
students at the schools being observed were able to excel academically because the
schools focus on academic achievement and have frequent assessment of student
progress and multiple opportunities for improvement (Center for Performance
Assessment, 2000). In South Africa, the National Department of Education must come
to expect more of South African high school students academically. Holding them to
higher standards sets them up to be more competitive both among their peers in South
Africa and around the world. However, if the Department of Education continues to
expect that students can succeed in society by passing with a 30%, then it is up to the
individual teachers to motivate their students. Teachers must take time to show students
that they are capable of high achievement, even though they may have never seen it
themselves. If students have higher expectations for themselves they are encouraged to
work harder, receive better marks and thus are able to broaden the range of the
opportunities that they will have.
As shown, academic standards for high school students in South Africa differ
greatly from those in the United States. Very little is required for students to pass grade
12, and pursuing higher education is not always expected of them. In order to help
provide more opportunities for students both in high school and after they have
matriculated, they must be made to believe that they can be high achievers, meaning that
they can earn far higher marks than 30%. Setting higher standards forces students to work
in order to reach them. When they meet them, students see that they are more than
capable of high achievement than they may have originally thought. In order to motivate
students to expect more of themselves, teachers must come to expect more of them. This
comes by giving students more assessments that test their comprehension of the material
and not just how well they can reproduce definitions and math formulas, along with other
techniques. During my time working with students at South Peninsula I have seen
students work way below their potential because they are able to get by doing the bare
minimum. I have had students ask me to complete problems for them instead of taking
the time to explain the work to them. I know that these students, and students throughout
South Africa, are capable of completing tasks in the classroom and doing well on Matric
exams, but they must be made to believe that they are capable themselves. This
experience has inspired me to push my students to their fullest potential, showing them
that they are capable of much more than they may think. With the proper teachers and
administration in place, I believe that high school students across South Africa can be
made to realize their potential and achieve higher marks in their classes, on their Matric
exams, and excel at the collegiate level.


Works Cited:
1. South African National Department of Education, 2005. THE NATIONAL
SENIOR CERTIFICATE: A QUALIFICATION AT LEVEL 4 ON THE NATIONAL
QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (NQF). Government Gazette, Vol. 481, No.
27819
2. Reeves, D, 2000. The 90-90-90 Schools: A Case Study. Accountability in Action,
2nd Edition