Limpopo aims for top five national matric results

Schools and School Governing Bodies need an aggressive plan to recruit quality and skilled teachers to be counted among the best top five schools in the country, Limpopo premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba said yesterday.

Ramathuba was speaking during the official announcement of the Limpopo matric results for the class of 2024 at the Ranch Hotel, outside Polokwane.

The province performed extremely well after decades of dismal performance.

Limpopo performed extremely well

It has improved from below 40% matric pass rate in the last decade to 79.54% in the 2023 academic year and 85.01% last year.

“Our target this year is to be counted among the top five performing provinces in the country. We want 90% plus this year.

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“If we work hand in glove together, we will achieve that goal without any hurdles. But if we continue with our hostile approach, we only consider the socalled son of the soil as the only teachers in our schools, we are doomed.

“We will never achieve our target,” said the premier to thunderous applause from elated teachers, pupils, mayors, church bishops and investors.

The great performance drew great jubilation across the province, even from opposition parties, including the DA.

Parties celebrate results

“We congratulate the pupils, who sat for the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations and the improved provincial pass rate to 85.01%, a significant increase from 79.54% in the previous year. We wish these pupils great success in their futures,” said DA MPL in Limpopo, Jacques Smalle.

The province had 4 1370 Grade 12 pupils and 44.3% achieved bachelor degree passes.

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This represents an increase from the previous year, while 24 591 (26.3%) and 13 500 (14.4%) achieved diploma and higher certificate passes.

Gauteng achieved an 88% matric pass rate. Education MEC Matome Chiloane congratulated the pupils, saying it was the best performance since 1995 with a “3% improvement over the 2023 achievement of 85.4%.”

Mpumalanga education MEC Cathy Dlamini commended the matric class of 2024 for obtaining an 84.99% pass rate, exceeding the targeted 83%.

Mpumalanga education MEC happy

The results were announced at the Banquet Hall in Middelburg. Dlamini said the class of 2024 had registered 66 936 candidates and 64 201 wrote all subjects.

“This pass rate constitutes a 7.99% improvement from the 77% pass rate obtained in 2023. Out of the 54 564 candidates who passed, 56.12% were girls who registered a 4.2% improvement compared with the 2023 performance. This confirms the government’s quest to fully empower girls and redress the legacy of the past, but not be done at the expense of boys.”

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Mpumalanga overall winner was Gugu Libambo from Phaphama Secondary, who received awards, bursaries, money and a car, while two other pupils received bursaries, money from various institutions and awards.

She is in the quintile 3 schools in the province while she is number three nationally.

Siboniso Mathebula from Mayflower Secondary School was one of the pupils who represented the province as top achievers in maths and physical sciences, while Languita Mokate from Thufane Secondary School was number one in the quintile one schools and number two nationally.

Top achievers

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Mokate said: “I am very happy and proud that I managed to be one of the best pupils in the country. I have seven distinctions with top marks in life sciences and physical sciences.

“I struggled with my studies during the year and we decided to form a group in which we were shared ideas and discussed everything about our studies.

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“I received many awards and money from various institutions which motivated me to continue to doing well. I will be studying for an actuarial science degree at the University of Cape Town.”