sector skills plan for the health sector in south africa

Table 5-3 shows that the total number of Grade 12 candidates who passed physical science increased
from 84543 in 1999 to 115607 in 2007, an average annual growth rate of 4%. However, it is clear that
the number of matriculants who passed physical sciences in 2008 (Table 5-1) is much lower than the
number who passed under the pre-2008 curriculum.
Table 5-3 Grade 12 statistics – physical science: 1999-2007
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 AAG
Number of
matriculants who N N N N N N N N N %
Wrote matric
Not
known 489 941 449 371 443 821 440 267 467 985 508 363 528 525 564 775 2.1
Wrote physical
science 160,949 163 185 153 847 153 855 151 791 161 214 181 828 195 223 214 510 3.7
Passed physical
science HG 24,191 23 344 24 280 24 888 26 067 26 975 29 965 29 781 28 122 1.9
Passed physical
science SG 60,352 67 823 56 488 70 763 75 693 73 943 73 667 81 151 87 485 4.8
Total passes 84,543 91 167 80 768 95 651 101 760 100 918 103 632 110 932 115 607 4.0
* AG = Annual Growth.
Source: Department of Basic Education. Education Statistics in South Africa at a Glance in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006 and 2007.
Biology as a subject was replaced by life sciences during the 2008 curriculum changes. Exposure to
biology or life sciences at school may stimulate learners’ interests in the health or animal health
sciences, and encourage them to pursue a career in the field. Students intending to enter tertiary-level
studies in health sciences in fields such as biomedical technology, emergency medical care, medical
clinical practice, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, optical dispensing, dental technology,
chiropractic, phytotherapy and naturopathy are required to study life sciences at secondary school
level. 181 It is concerning to note that fewer candidates are studying biology or life sciences at matric
level. In 1999, a total of 387787 candidates wrote biology and the number decreased by 0.6% per
annum until 2007. By 2008 only 298210 sat the life sciences examination and, of those, only 117483
candidates passed. Almost 33% fewer candidates passed life sciences in 2008 than those who passed
biology in 2007 (Table 5-4).
181 Various health sciences faculties: Cape Peninsula University of Technology http://www.cput.ac.za; Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University http://www.nmmu.ac.za; University of Cape Town http://www.uct.ac.za; University of Pretoria
http://www.up.ac.za; University of Stellenbosch http://www.sun.ac.za; University of the Western Cape http://www.uwc.ac.za;
Walter Sisulu University of Technology http://www/wsu.ac.za. (Accessed August and September 2010).
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