Sihlalo, ndiyabulela xa uMphathiswa eyivuma into yokuba kubekho ukulungiswa kweziphumo ukuya phezulu, njengokuba ikomiti yemicimbi yesebe ibikuxelelwe oko liGosa eliyiNtloko lesiGqeba sikaMalusi. Kodwa ke, owona mbuzo ndifuna ukuwulandelisa ngowokuba, ukuba kunjalo, zilungiswe kangakanani? Ndifuna ukwazi ukuba zilungiswe ngeepesenti ezingaphi ukuya phezulu. Kutheni kungakhange kubekho lizwi elilucacisayo olu lungiso kwiminyaka egqithileyo? Uluntu loMzantsi Afrika aluzange lukhe luxelelwe ukuba kukho into elolu hlobo.
Okokugqibela, ndiyakuva Mphathiswa, ukuba uthi le nto ayibacaphazeli abantwana abafunda kwiidyunivesithi, kodwa akucacanga ukuba le nto iza kuba nefuthe elingakanani na kubantwana abangena kwiidyunivesithi.
UMPHATHISWA WEZEMFUNDO ESISISEKO: Sihlalo, le nto ixhomekeke ekubeni amanqaku aloo nyaka anjani xa ethelekiswa nawonyaka ogqithileyo. Ngoko, andizi kukwazi ukuthi kwiminyaka eli-15 ziipesenti ezili-10 okanye ezi-5 alungelelaniswe ngazo; kuxhomekeke ekubeni amanqaku ezibalo kuloo nyaka kumelwe ukuba alungiswe njani na xa ethelekiswa naweminyaka egqithileyo. Ngoko, akukwazeki ukuchaza ukuba ziipesenti ezi-10 okanye ezi-2, kuba kungenzeka ukuba angonyuswa.
Mna ndiva kusithiwa yinto eyenzeka kwihlabathi liphela asiyonto intsha; asiyonto ongema phezu kwentaba uyikhwaze, yinto nje eyenziwa ngokwendlela ekusetyenzwa ngayo. Ngoko ke, andiqondi ukuba bekukho imfuneko yokuba sihambe sixelela abantu ukuba ngoku siyalungisa. Nembiza uyayijonga ubone ukuba ayikavuthwa, uyigalele amanzi de ilunge. Isebenza ngolo hlobo ke nale into akusetyenzwa ngeepesenti, kungenjalo singangayenzi ngendlela. Singafaka iipesenti ezili-10 ukonyusa okanye ukohlisa amanqaku. Ihamba ngolo hlobo ke le nto. Asinto ekufuneka umane uyikhwaza; yinto ehamba kakuhle ngokwesiko. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Mr L RAMATLAKANE: Chairperson, I am happy that the Minister agrees that marks have been adjusted as the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education was informed by the CEO of Malusi. But the question I really want to ask is, if that is the case, at what rate? I would like to know the percentage at which the marks were inflated. Why was this not mentioned in the previous years? Were South Africans ever told about something of this nature?
Lastly Minister, I hear you mention that this adjustment does not affect university students, but it is not clear as to how this will affect first year university students.
THE MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION: Chairperson, this is determined by comparing the year's marks to those of the previous year. Therefore, I will not know if the marks were adjusted by 10 or 5 percent in the past 15 years; it depends on how much Mathematics marks of that particular year should be adjusted as compared to the previous years. Therefore, we cannot say it is 10 or 2 percent because they might not be adjusted.
And I understand this to be an international practice and not something new; it is not a big deal. This is something that is done according to standards. Therefore, I don't think that there is a need to tell people that we are making adjustments now.
Even when you are cooking you keep on checking and if the dish is not yet ready you add the required ingredients until it is done. That is how the question of results also works and not with percentages otherwise we will not do this the right way. We can add 10 percent to increase or to decrease the marks. That is how it is done. It is not something to make a fuss about; it is something that goes according to standards. [Applause.]]