The FF Plus congratulates the matric class of 2023 for maintaining the upward trajectory of the country’s matric pass rate with a pass percentage of 82,9%.
Those who were not successful should certainly not give up, seeing as there is another opportunity provided by the Second Chance Programme which allows matriculants to repeat the subjects holding them back.
Minister Angie Motshekga was quite right to point out that focusing solely on the pass percentage provides an incomplete picture. Other information, such as the throughput rate (percentage of first graders who passed matric) and the quality of the qualification (whether the candidate is eligible for degree, diploma and certificate study), is also relevant.
The real test is whether successful matriculants will also become successful tertiary students, entrepreneurs or participants in the labour market. After all, matric is not an end in itself, but a means to prepare for the rest of one’s life.
Among the provinces, the Free State fared the best with 89%; with KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng and the North West following closely on each other’s heels with 86,4%, 85,4% and 84,6%, respectively.
Next is the Western Cape with 81,5%, the Eastern Cape with 81,4%, Limpopo with 79,5% and Mpumalanga with 77,0%. The Northern Cape deserves a hiding for its 75,8%.
The provinces with the highest real matric pass rate are Mpumalanga, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
This picture would not be complete without the results of the Independent Examination Board (IEB) and South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI).
The independent education sector delivers about 5% of all matriculants. This sector ranges from low-income independent schools to home-schools and schools that are even more expensive than some universities. The two examination boards’ pass rates are 98,46% and 72%, respectively.
While the FF Plus is just as excited as last year’s matriculants to see what opportunities their future holds, schools are already hard at work to prepare the class of 2024 as best possible.
The party wishes the entire educational system all the best.
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