Matric results: Class of 2024 achieves 87.3% pass rate

The matric Class of 2024 is celebrating an excellent return on the time and hard work they have invested, with Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube announcing a pass rate of 87.3%.

Gwarube confirmed the results of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams at an event on Monday evening.

This is an improvement of 4.4 percentage points on the Class of 2023’s 82.9% pass rate and it’s the highest since the dawn of democracy. The 2022 matric class received an 80.1% pass rate.

Nearly half (47.8%) of those who wrote last year’s exams achieved a Bachelor pass, allowing them to study further at universities and institutions of higher learning.KwaZulu-Natal led the way with 84 000 Bachelor passes, with Gauteng (66 000) and Eastern Cape (45 000) following.

319 000 distinctions were earned, with every province increasing the amount of distinctions received. KZN was top, followed by the Western Cape and Gauteng.

30% pass

Speaking at the announcement, Deputy Minister of Education Dr Reginah Mhaule weighed in on the debate around the pass requirements, saying students who underachieved, especially in key subjects, would not be pushed through for the sake of a better pass rate.

“30% is not a pass in South Africa. It has never been. If a candidate gets an aggregated average of 30% they cannot proceed. They will have failed. There are myths and misinformation peddled year after year. The department welcomes constructive criticism and any meaningful dialogue on this.”

Gwarube said the national department would work with provincial departments to strategically realign the focus towards quality education from the foundation phase.

Last of the Covid high schoolers

A unique feather in their cap is that they are the last set of pupils to have been in high school during the Covid-19 crisis in 2020, having just begun Grade 8 when schools were shut.

Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube congratulated them on their resilience.

“We are proud of the Class of 2024. They worked very hard under difficult circumstances. Proving that from the harshest conditions, greatness can bloom.”

Earlier, she praised matrics’ determination.

“Some of you had to adapt to online learning and deal with limited resources. Navigating a world where learning and teaching became incredibly difficult was no small feat.

“Despite these obstacles, you persevered. You’ve demonstrated that challenges are not roadblocks but stepping stones to greatness,” said Gwarube.

Professor Kobus Maree from the University of Pretoria told The Citizen this year’s results carried the “lingering effects” of the Covid-19 pandemic and persistent systemic inequalities, particularly between urban and rural schools.

“You have to come back to the disparity between urban and rural schools, the wealthy and the less wealthy. Those systemic inequities are still interesting,” Maree explained.

How each province did

In praising the performances of each province, Gwarube said the education system was maturing, but more needed to be done.

Among these were education equality and improved infrastructure.

The province with the highest pass rate was again the Free State, which broke the 90% barrier for the first time, registering a 91% pass rate

However, the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape were the lowest achievers, registering 84.98% and 84.2% pass rates, respectively.

Below is a breakdown of each province’s pass rate compared to their 2023 effort.