The national matric pass rate has increased, albeit by a marginal 0.2%, despite the challenges the class of 2021 faced.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced in Joburg last night that the overall matric pass rate was 76.4 % – up from 76.2% in 2020.
“This represents a record of 537 687 candidates who passed the 2021 National Senior Certificate examination,” she said.
Close to home, the Western Cape managed to get its National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric results back to pre-pandemic levels after it achieved a 81.2% pass rate in 2021.
However, the Kaap still only came up third on the log, preceded by the Free State and Gauteng.
The Free State Education Department retained its position with the highest number of passes, while Gauteng declined in comparison with its performance the previous year.
Motshekga said Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal contributed to the highest number of bachelor admissions.
Giving a provincial breakdown:
The Free State had a pass rate of 85.7% an improvement of 0.6% in 2020.
Gauteng achieved 82.8% - a decline of 1%.
Western Cape achieved 81.2% - an improvement of 1.3%.
North West achieved 78.2%, an improvement of 2%.
KwaZulu-Natal achieved 76.8%, a decline of 0.8%.
Mpumalanga achieved 73.6% - a decline of 0.1%.
Eastern Cape achieved 73% - an improvement of 4.9%.
Northern Cape achieved 71.4% - an improvement of 5.4%.
And Limpopo achieved 66.7% - a decline of 1.5%.
Earlier yesterday, Motshekga hosted the top 33 matrics for breakfast at Houghton Hotel.
“You are literally and figuratively the class of your own. You are the top learners in the country,” the minister said.
She said they triumphed despite the turbulence and uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic which started while they were in Grade 11, saying “you have made it. You survived.”
“It is a huge gesture to celebrate a top learner in a public school. It is not child’s play to become a top learner in the system.
“It is a big achievement. You set the bar very high. Through thick and thin you persevered until the end,” she said.
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