The Coega Development Corporation, an enabling agent for socio-economic development in the Eastern Cape and operator of the Coega Industrial Development Zone, says that the pass rates of Eastern Cape matriculants can improve with the intervention of additional learning programmes.
 
Matric results released by the Eastern Cape Department of Education showed that the province recorded a 59.3% in 2016, a slight increase from 56.8% of the previous year.
 
“While the increase is a positive step in the right direction, it is evident that there is still a need to improve maths and science results in the province,” says Dr Ayanda Vilakazi, CDC head of marketing and communications.
 
He adds that the province’s flourishing industrial sector requires skilled peoples with a background in science, maths and technology, such as engineers, civil constructors, and electrical technicians, to name but a few. 

To this end, the CDC established an ongoing Maths and Science programme in 2013, the aim of which is to address the challenges facing the education system in the Eastern Cape. The long-term goal of the programme is to encourage and inspire learners to follow a career path mainly in engineering, science, and technology.
 
“The programme is open to learners who have written matric from 2014 upwards and passed all other subjects, except Mathematics and Physical Science,” says Mpumezo Ndabeni, CDC Maths & Science Project Manager.
 
He adds that the programme is also open to learners who have passed all their subjects including Mathematics and Physical Science but would like to improve their results for these subjects. “The closing date for  new applications this year is Wednesday, 1 February 2017. Learners can apply by bringing their statement of symbols to CDC Human Capital Solutions, located in Zone 4 of the Coega IDZ or by calling the CDC Human Capital Solutions Offices on 041 404 7300 and ask to speak to the Maths & Science Unit.
 
Since inception, the programme has proved to be a huge success.  In the 2016 class, which consisted of 48 learners, the programme achieved 100% pass rate for Physical Science and 98% for Mathematics. In 2015 the programme, consisting of 50 learners, obtained 98% pass rate for both subjects.