Consequences of the progression law in the FET phase: a case study

Abstract

The progression law, which restricts grade repetition to once within each of the four phases of basic education, has only been enforced in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase since 2013. The first cohort of progressed learners reached grade 12 in 2014. We investigate the extent of progression in 2014 in various school quintiles and the observed and speculated future consequences of the progression law in the FET phase. Our mainly quantitative data includes numbers and pass rates for the entire Free State (FS) province, with a focus on the Motheo district. We also draw on some qualitative data in the forms of questionnaires and reports from teachers and mentors working in 22 low quintile schools in Motheo. Our findings show marked differences in extents and impacts of progression between the school quintiles, with low quintile schools acutely impacted and with difficulties likely to escalate in the next few years.