By Johnathan Paoli

The Free State once again emerged as South Africa’s top-performing province in the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results, marking the sixth consecutive year it has claimed the top spot.

Education MEC Julia Maboya expressed immense pride in a media briefing after the provincial release of the NSC results at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

“We have always surpassed our targets. As a province we are really proud of learners, teachers, parents, SGBs and teacher unions. I think it is in this province that we have demonstrated that education is a societal matter,” Maboya said.

The MEC attributed this success to relentless hard work, strategic planning and community involvement.

Maboya praised the feat as remarkable given the province’s socio-economic challenges, but pridefully stressed the Free State’s determination.

“We are investing in our people through education. That is the best thing we can do for our people because we happen to be one of those poor provinces,” she said.

The Free State achieved an impressive 91% pass rate, a marked improvement from the 89.1% recorded in 2023, with key achievements including a notable increase in quality passes.

In addition, 48.2% of learners earned bachelor passes and 30% achieved diploma passes, reflecting consistent improvement in high-grade results since 2020.

A total of 17,486 learners qualified for university studies, 10,889 for diploma programmes, and 4,621 for higher certificates, underscoring the depth and diversity of academic success across the province.

Four of the Free State’s districts ranked among the top 10 nationally out of 77 districts, with Fezile Dabi District achieving a remarkable 93.5% pass rate, the second highest in the country.

Other high-performing districts include Motheo, Xhariep and Thabo Mofutsanyana, demonstrating the province’s regional strength in education.

Among the 355 schools in the province, 67 achieved a 100% pass rate, and 232 exceeded a 90% pass rate.

The province’s focus on Mathematics and science education also yielded exceptional results, with Mookodi Secondary School in Thabo Mofutsanyana District being named the best school in these subjects, achieving a 97% pass rate in both.

Maboya said the Free State’s consistent advancements in quality outcomes and district level achievements highlighted its leading role in South Africa’s education landscape.

Fezile Dabi District Director Vusi Chuta said the accomplishment reflected the district’s dedication to quality education and its transformative impact.

He stressed the drivers of success in the district including initiatives like Saturday classes, after-school programmes, and holiday revision sessions focusing on critical subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Accounting, supporting high-risk learners.

The district also focused on fostering teamwork among educators, principals and school governing bodies, enhancing teaching quality through regular workshops and training, with the district officials actively involving parents and community stakeholders to ensure holistic learner support.

Additionally, Chuta said the district prioritised foundational literacy and numeracy, preparing learners to excel in senior grades and celebrating achievements of learners and schools by cultivating motivation and healthy competition.

Approximately 67% of Bachelor passes came from Quintile 1 to 3 schools, showcasing the district’s commitment to equity and inclusivity, with many regarding Fezile Dabi’s success as integral to the Free State’s overall 91.0% pass rate.

Despite its success, Chuta said the district aimed to address challenges like declining participation in gateway subjects.

He said the district’s commitment to sustained excellence would ensure it remained a model of educational achievement in South Africa.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Limpopo and Mpumalanga welcome the matric triumph of 2024

By Johnathan Paoli

The provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga heartily celebrated their learners during the releases of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam results on Tuesday.

Limpopo education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya said it was the first time the province had surpassed the 80% threshold since the advent of democracy, earning it sixth place nationally, a leap from seventh last year.

“The class of 2024 made history by pushing boundaries and delivered on their promise,” she said.

Once lagging in performance, Limpopo has now emerged as a “province on the rise”, achieving a historic 85.01% matric pass rate, up from 79.5% in 2023.

The top three districts included Mogalakwena with an 87.8% pass rate, Mopani West with 87.2%, and Vhembe East and Capricorn South tied in third place with 85.8%.

Sekhukhune East was the most improved district, up from 74.7% to 84%.

Setotolwane Secondary from Capricorn South achieved a 100% pass rate with more than half of matriculants achieving Bachelor passes.

Lerule-Ramakhanya attributed this success to the relentless efforts of teachers, principals, parents and stakeholders who united under the shared vision of excellence.

She expressed gratitude to traditional leaders, pastors, government officials and sponsors for their unwavering support. Sponsors were particularly lauded for providing resources like shoes, laptops and bursaries.

While celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2024, Lerule-Ramakhanya emphasised that the work continued.

She said Limpopo had set its sights on achieving a top five national ranking.

In Mpumalanga, education MEC Cathy Dlamini noted that matriculants achieved an 84.99% pass rate, exceeding the province’s target by 1.99% and marking a significant improvement from 2023’s 77%.

“We wish to congratulate the Class of 2024. Your accomplishments are an inspiration to us all. We hope that the Class of 2025 will emulate this best practice. No one must be left behind,” Dlamini said.

Basic Education Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule attended the provincial announcement, thanking all stakeholders had assisted in maintaining the stability and improvement of the sector.

Of the 64,201 candidates who wrote the NSC exams, 54,567 passed, with 27,885 qualifying for Bachelor programmes and there were 23,310 distinctions.

Districts recorded notable improvements in pass rates, with Ehlanzeni District leading at 88.43%, Gert Dibande at 87.67% and Nkangala at third with 85.24%.

Out of the 17 municipalities in the province, the Steve Tshwete local municipality obtained position one after passing 2449 learners which constitute a 92.9% pass rate.

The top-performing circuit was Msukaligwa, achieving a 95.9% pass rate, with 51 out of 71 circuits performing above 80%.

Among schools, 58 were able to pass all learners who wrote, recording a 100% pass rate, an improvement from the 24 schools in 2023.

A total of 201 performed between the 80% and 99% pass rate bracket compared to 117 of 2023, while 500 schools performed above 70% compared to 417 of 2023.

Hoërskool Nelspruit emerged as the best performing institution, with 100% of its learners passing and collectively achieving 366 distinctions.

The most improved school is Madoda Secondary School in Siyabuswa Circuit at Nkangala District, registering an improvement of 62% and obtaining a 90.9% pass rate this time around.

The province also saw impressive results in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, surpassing targets with pass rates of 66.37% and 73.69%, respectively.

Out of the 481 no-fee schools, 31 obtained 100%, 332 schools obtained results above 80% and 412 schools performed above 70%.

The overall best quintile 1 school in the province is Mkolishi Secondary School at Manzana in the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality, obtaining a 100 % pass rate for two years in succession and passing all 103 learners who sat for the examination.

Efforts to improve inclusivity and quality education were evident, with 481 no-fee schools participating and significant resources allocated to rural and disadvantaged areas.

Key initiatives for 2025 included strengthening technical high schools, coding and robotics programmes, and e-learning systems.

Dlamini emphasised the province’s commitment to achieving a minimum 80% pass rate across all districts, with intensified support for underperforming schools.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Akani Nkuna

Political parties have congratulated the Class of 2024 for their remarkable determination which has ensured that they achieved the highest pass rate in the history of the country.

Despite the unprecedented disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the pass rate for last year was 87.3%.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri praised the collaborative efforts and parents, teachers and learners, whose combined hard work and dedication led to the improvement in the results.

“The Class of 2024 achieved a historic 87.3% pass rate, the highest in the country’s history. This remarkable milestone reflects the resilience of learners, educators and parents, as well as the decisive role of successive ANC-led administrations’ interventions in education,” she said on Tuesday.

The matric pass rate was 82.9% in 2023. A notable highlight is that the class got the highest ever number of Bachelor passes at 47.8%, representing a 6.9% increase from the previous year.

Democratic Alliance education spokesperson Delmaine Christians also applauded the learners, saying that despite facing adversities and budget constraints which impacted teacher staffing, class sizes, school safety and access to quality resources, they surged beyond expectations.

“We know that learners had to overcome severe socio-economic and other circumstances to reach Grade 12 and sit their examinations, and that many of them used their circumstances as a motivation to ensure they achieve the best possible results,” she said.

Christians further said that the party recommended that South African Council for Educators be strengthened to ensure all teachers were equipped to provide quality education, as even top students struggled with ineffective teaching.

Meanwhile, the EFF cautioned that the country faced significant concerns due to dwindling interest in Physical Sciences and has called for a strong foundation to be instituted for this crucial subject.

EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said that “the declining participation in Physical Sciences and the lack of improvement in results are also major concerns for South Africa’s future”.

“A robust foundation in these subjects is essential for global competitiveness and participation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” she said in a statement.

The GOOD Party is also urging the government to allocate more funds to education, focusing on rural areas so that students in village schools receive the same quality education as those in suburban schools.

“Government [needs] to place greater priority on basic education as the basic building block our developmental society. We must [spend] more money on developing our children…,  said GOOD secretary general Brett Herron.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The country’s 39 top achieving learners of the Class of 2024 have expressed hope and confidence in their future endeavours despite the challenges.

The learners were honoured at a ministerial breakfast at the MTN Centre in Johannesburg on Monday. It was attended by the leaders of the Basic Education Department and MTN.

Inside Education spoke to some of the learners being honoured, including Malandlwa Baloyi from New Hope School in Pretoria. Despite having brittle bone disease, she has achieved academic excellence and is now set to study psychology at Stellenbosch University.

“I’m still processing that I worked hard enough to be here. My disability played a major role in challenging my progress as a matriculant,” she said.

Olwetho Langelihle Ntombela from Inanda Newtown Comprehensive High School in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, similarly expressed joy at being recognised for his hard work.

“I plan on studying mechanical engineering, but still need to choose where I will complete my tertiary studies,” Ntombela said.

Sboniso Mathebula from Mayflower Secondary School in Mpuluzi, Mpumalanga, said he was hoping to further his career at the University of Johannesburg, specialising in computer science.

“It has been a really rough journey and after writing, I really thought that all my chances of coming here were shattered, but God had other plans,” he said.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube commended the top achievers for their determination, hailing their resilience in the face of not only individual challenges, but also being a generation that had to endure the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when starting high school.

“Learners, we are here to celebrate your brilliance. The spotlight belongs to you. Many of you began your high school journey in 2020, at the start of the pandemic and navigated a world in which learning and teaching became exceedingly difficult,” Gwarube said.

She reminded the matriculants about the value of hard work, perseverance and integrity, and called on them to be leaders who were innovative, hard working and ethical.

“As you take on the new chapter in your life, be an ethical leader, and let what you learned at home and at school be your guiding light,” Gwarube said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thebe Mabanga

The performances of learners from poor backgrounds, as well as the sacrifices of teachers, learners and broader communities were the most commendable features of this year’s matric results.

That is according to Basic Education director-general Mathanzima Mweli, who spoke shortly after giving the technical presentation of the matric results of the Class of 2024, who achieved a record pass rate of 87,3%. 

Mweli spoke of teachers “who know of no weekends and no holidays” in order to offer extra lessons and camps, as well as parents who gave up their time and other resources to support learners in camps by offering services like security and catering.

“The broader support from civil society in order for learners to receive extra support is something I have never seen,” he said.

This year’s matric exam had a fulltime enrolment of 724,156 candidates and 155,948 part-time candidates. This group started school in 2013 as 1,2 million. A total of 740,876 matriculated, which is a retention rate of 61,6 %.

But Mweli noted that this was not due to the widely held belief that there was a high drop-out rate.

“The problem is not high drop-out, it is high failure rate and repeating grades,” he said, suggesting that most learners were still in the system and would reach matric, just not in the envisaged record time.

A total of 572,338 learners, more than 75% of the candidates, were grant recipients.

Mweli attributed this statistic to the support offered by government.

“Government offers a safety net.”

This group of learners started their high school careers in 2020, the year of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Mweli said they have benefited from “extraordinary support” since the pandemic in the form of extra classes, support for former model C schools, a wider range of subjects, more intense monitoring and the use of data to track progress.

The pass rate for no fee school was 85,8%, while fee paying school achieved 90,1 % and independent schools achieved 91,9%. The pass rate among males and females was almost similar at 87,5% for females and 87,1 % for males, while the bachelor pass rate stood at 47,8 %.

An impressive feature of these results was the record low enrolment and absentee rate.

In 2017, of the learners who were registered for Grade 12 by October, 15% did not write their final exam. This year the figure of absentees was only 2,63%.

Mweli attributed this improvement to the confidence that learners have developed in their chances of passing.

“You are unlikely to go write if you feel you are going to fail,” he explained.

Government says it had to contend with a number of challenges in the staging and marking of these exams. These range from inclement weather such as floods and heat waves, to water and electricity supply challenges. There was also the challenge of marker wellbeing as well as food handling and hygiene.

To deal with the weather, government provided daily forecasts and enlisted the support of the South African National Defence Force. It also allowed learners to use accessible exam centres in the event of floods, for instance.

Marking centres were supplied with backup power and water tanks, while markers were given access to psycho sociological support to aid their overall health and wellbeing. Stringent food preparation and handling measures were also put in place.

Mweli used the occasion to pay tribute to all education ministers who have served during the country’s democracy, starting with the recently deceased Prof. Sibusiso Bengu, the late Kader Asmal and Angie Motshekga as well as former directors-general Thami Mseleku and Duncan Hindle.

He also paid tribute to the four educators and markers who lost their lives during the marking period.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

The post-matric focus will swing sharply to the future for thousands of South African matriculants.

Now, it inevitably falls on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) ability to ensure a smooth start to the academic year.

One hopes that the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education wields a bigger stick in dealing with the country’s education administrators.

The lawmakers allowed him an easy ride for all that went wrong under the watchful eye of former minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande.

Although his demotion as minister of Science and Innovation ensured he remains in the gravy, his legacy in higher education continues to cast a shadow.

The committee convened in Parliament to receive briefings from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) on its quarter 2 performance report for the 2024/25 financial year. DHET was asked to prepare a presentation on the shortcomings of the sector’s legislative provisions.

However, the committee said it was unsatisfied with the lack of information. It suggested that specific problematic provisions, their limitations and DHET’s proposals for addressing these be included.

In fairness to the new Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, the criticism levelled at the department would have become her responsibility after she assumed the role on 3 July.

In November, the committee members criticised the department for its lack of timely and comprehensive written responses, which were often delayed and left members more confused.

These are legacy issues which go back to Dr Nzimande.

Members criticised DHET for its inability to monitor and oversee its entities effectively. They were also puzzled that the DHET assigned the critical infrastructure expenditure function for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to the National Skills Fund. This entity struggles to report on its activities and submit its annual report.

Dr Nzimande never addressed the various allegations around the NSF. Some skeletons refuse to go away.

Members were frustrated by DHET’s inability to fill vacancies and its reporting of quarterly targets. The information did not clearly show how DHET addressed its vacancies.

At one point, the department had over 4000 vacancies and returned R580 million to the National Treasury for funded posts.

The same committee, mindful of these issues, allowed Dr Nzimande to leave office without accounting to Parliament.

Members urged the department to improve. As the 2025 academic year readies for the influx of new matriculants looking for study opportunities at tertiary institutions, one hopes the NSFAS will make the process smoother.

Above all, what hope is there when the country’s lawmakers operate tardily and do not hold the very people who are meant to deliver accountable?

The committee questioned why the NSF procured its ICT system through the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) rather than pursue competitive bidding in the market.

The NSF clarified that this approach would expedite the system’s development, and that procurement of ICT systems must be conducted through SITA. The procured service provider will develop an ICT system linked with NSF data and project management systems, scheduling, learner performance and other crucial data.

Numerous media reports have been about the NSF’s many failings. One hopes that Minister Nkabane will investigate all that her predecessor glossed over.

However, she must do something urgent about the number of people in acting positions, especially since R580 million was returned to the National Treasury over the last two years due, suggesting that the department lacks urgency in addressing this issue.

The vacancies had been a recurring audit found by the Auditor-General. Yet, the committee never grilled the former minister about this, considering there seemed to be poor monitoring and accountability in the department during his time.

While the excitement about matriculants will dominate, Minister Nkabane will increasingly find her work cut out in ensuring that the department delivers, is adequately staffed, and, above all, holds all entities under its watch accountable. South Africa expects as much from the department.

One also expects the portfolio committee to grill education entities on how they’re making a difference to the country’s landscape. The more we interrogate whether South Africa is getting bang for its buck, the more we may see better use of public resources.

Is it shocking that the education department returns half a billion rand to the Treasury because it failed to fill vacancies — and nobody finds anything wrong?

Edwin Naidu is the Editor of Inside Education.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has confirmed reports of a possible leak of matric results.

Speaking during an urgent media briefing before a ministerial breakfast in Johannesburg on Monday, Gwarube said that the department had identified a breach in its system.

“If the leak is from our side, we will deal with it. If it is from processes outside the department, we will deal with it. But either way, we will take this breach seriously,” Gwarube said.

She said that certain platforms have attempted to sell what they call “authentic” results of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.

Gwarube, however, stressed that while the department acknowledged the incident, it occurred at the “tail-end” of the process, and would consequently not affect the integrity of the results.

The minister outlined the way forward, saying that should investigations identify the leak within the department, it would proceed with internal investigation under the Director-General.

She said that if the leak should be found outside the department, they were obligated to share the information with the Hawks to investigate the matter.

The minister said that the reason the department has remained silent on the issue was to respect the integrity of the investigation.

She said authorities could confirm that the investigation was at an advanced stage, and the department would announce further details concerning the breach.

Gwarube said that while it remained concerning, it should not mar Monday’s event which sought to celebrate learners.

INSIDE EDUCATION