South Africa’s class of 2018 bested last year’s overall matric pass rate by achieving an impressive 78.2% – last year, the average pass rate was 75.1%. These results were announced by the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, in Midrand on Thursday evening, where she was joined by the country’s top achievers.

Approximately 625 000 full-time candidates sat down to write their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in November 2018, along with 176 000 part-time candidates. However, approximately 512 700 full-time candidates and 117 660 part-time candidates sat for exams on all seven subjects in their NSC exams.

“One of the reasons we are excited about the general upward trend in our Grade 12 results, is that we know this is a manifestation of improvements occurring at all levels of the schooling system,” IOL reported Motshekga as saying. “We will be the first to concede that despite the notable stability of and improvements in the system, we are yet to cross our own Rubicon. We must agree that much has been achieved, but much more needs to be done in the areas of efficiency and quality.”

Gauteng claimed the number one position in the country with a matric pass rate of 87.9%, followed by the Free State with a pass rate of 87.5%.

The Western Cape takes the third position with an 81.5% pass rate.

Pass rates per province are as follows:
– Gauteng – 87.9%
– Free State – 87.5%
– Western Cape – 81.5%
– North West – 81.1%
– Mpumalanga – 79%
– KwaZulu-Natal – 76.2%
– Northern Cape – 73.3%
– Eastern Cape – 70.6%
– Limpopo – 69.5%
Several students from the Western Cape formed part of the top 29 matrics from across the country, including Liam Gurney from Westerford High School and  Justine Crook-Mansour of Rustenburg Girls’ High.
“None of them said, ‘I’m a gifted child. I think my superior brains brought me here’. None of them. All of them, for the past 15 years, have been giving me one consistent story – it’s hard work and commitment,” Motshekga said at the breakfast hosted in honour of the top achievers in Midrand.
Picture: Pixabay

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