Parliament, Monday, 13 January 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education congratulates the basic education sector for achieving an 87.3% pass rate for the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results. The steady improvement in the National Senior Certificate average pass rate attests to the system's maturation and bodes well for the sector's future in the country. The committee also welcomed that every province has improved its pass rate, which is a testament to the system's continued hard work and dedication of stakeholders.
The upward trajectory is evidence of the robust foundation established by previous administrations, which has provided the platform for continuous improvements and resilience in the sector. With an average above 80% for all provinces, the 2024 cohort has set the bar high, and the succeeding cohorts and administrations must meet the standard set.
“The massive improvement is a testament to the hard work, dedication and countless hours invested by learners, parents, teachers, the Department of Basic Education, and all stakeholders in the future and education of the country's children. The same energy evident over the years must be enhanced to ensure the improvement of the system,” said Ms Joy Maimela, the committee Chairperson.
The improvement is important in the context of the impact COVID-19 had on teaching and learning for the 2024 cohort of learners. The hardship brought by the pandemic on the sector has been devastating, but the sector’s resilience as a whole is commendable and should be enhanced to ensure the sector's resilience going forward.
Notwithstanding the continued improvement of the sector and its current healthy state, the committee has highlighted the need for strategies to enhance enrolment in technical subjects, which is critical to producing learners inclined to meet current labour and market needs. “To drive economic growth in the country, the system must produce more learners within the technical and vocational stream. It is thus necessary to ensure that the system produces learners that will add not only quantity but quality as well as graduates that feed the labour needs in the country,” Ms Maimela said.
The committee also highlighted that this need is emphasised by the continued high performance within the stream, with an average 90% pass rate by those learners taking technical subjects. The committee has also called for increased funding for schools to offer technical subjects.
The committee has also commended the system's improvement in the throughput of learners, which is currently at 68% and above international standards. The Department of Basic Education reported that of the 1 222 851 learners who entered the system in grade 1 in 2013, 740 876 wrote their NSC in 2024. The committee has called for a thorough analysis of the reasons behind the 32% that did not write with the cohort to ensure that strategies and tracking systems are implemented to remedy any hindrances.
Despite this, the committee appreciated the improvement in the pass rate by progressed learners, with 54.7% passing their NSC in 2024. The fact that 4 071 progressed learners passed their NCS with Bachelor study passes highlights the intervention's correctness and the need for continued support for all learners. The committee also ensures that the system protects all learners and enables every learner to write and pass their NSC.
Furthermore, the committee welcomed the commitment to social justice principles of access, redress, equity, efficiency, quality, and inclusivity and has highlighted the need for continued consideration of those principles in driving the sector. The committee has stressed that the effective implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (Bela) will go a long way to ensure that the fundamental constitutional right to education and social justice principles are achieved and that no learner is left behind.
The committee commends that nearly half of the learners (47.8%) passed matric with Bachelor's admission. Furthermore, the fact that 319 000 distinctions were achieved, especially in key subjects such as maths, is welcomed. The fact that every province has increased the number of distinctions is a testament to a maturing system.
In line with this, the committee noted the information that 572 338 learners who wrote their NSC received a social grant. The increased number of learners who receive social grants, which amounts to 70%, highlights the critical need to enhance access and equality. “Importantly, the improvement in the quality of results produced by no-fee paying schools highlights the continued need for strategies to expand access to quality education to all learners in South Africa,” Ms Maimela said.
The committee welcomes the continued learner support Initiatives aimed at ensuring that Grade 12 learners are capacitated to tackle their examinations. Despite this, the committee highlighted that support initiatives should be strengthened and replicated across the system to ensure all learners are prepared to cope with the system's demands.
The 2024 cohort would not have succeeded without the support structure provided by parents, teachers, schools, the Department of Basic Education, its provinces and districts and every stakeholder within the sector. “The support provided by stakeholders has been unmeasurable and must be maintained to ensure that the upcoming cohorts are also granted the same or enhanced support. We call on every stakeholder to continue the great investment in our children's future,” Ms Maimela said.
While the improvement in the overall results is welcomed, the committee highlighted concerns with the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) 's information that 407 pupils were caught cheating during the 2024 matric exams. The committee has highlighted the continued need for the sector to raise awareness among learners on the dangers of cheating and its possible future impact on individuals.
In celebrating the achievements of the 2024 cohort, the committee dedicated the results to the memory of the four markers who passed away during the marking process of the 2024 examination scripts. “Their dedication to the education of our children is exemplary and will be etched in our memory for eternity,” Ms Maimela said.
The committee encouraged the learners who did not make it during the 2024 examination cycle. “The sector has made available opportunities for every learner to improve their marks and to try again. The committee encourages those learners to exploit various interventions available to them to ensure they reach greater heights,” Ms Maimela said.
As the school year starts, the committee has encouraged the sector to protect teaching and learning time, which must start on day one to ensure that the syllabus is covered.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION, MS JOY MAIMELA
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the Committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour