GP records improvement in quality of matric results

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Gauteng Education Department recorded 0.65% decline in its matric results from 87.88% in 2018 to an 87.23% pass rate in 2019.

While it has marked a dip in results, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi lauded the province for an improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in schools. 

“What is more important, perhaps, than our 87.23% pass rate for 2019, are the detailed indicators showing the increasing quality of the teaching and learning in our schools in the province. It is the details of the 2019 results which show that the upward trajectory of the last seven years continues. 

“While the performance is marginally down on the 2018 performance, I remain convinced that we are on the right track and that we can do much better provincially,” said Lesufi.

The assessment follows the release of the national matric pass rate by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Tuesday that saw the country record its highest pass rate at 81.3% since the advent of democracy. 

Gauteng is the second largest provincial education system with 97 717 matriculants that wrote the National Senior Certificate examinations compared to 94 879 matriculants in 2018. 

Second, only to KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng represents 19.4% of the total enrolment in the National Senior Certificate examinations compared to 18.5% last year.

“It is important to note that the 85 243 learners that passed in Gauteng compared to 83 415 learners in 2018. This represents 20.8% of the total number of learner who passed nationally. This is slightly up from 2018,” said the MEC.

Quality of passes

In respect of bachelors, the province achieved another first, at 44.46% exceeding the 2019 target of 40% and surpassing the 43.65% in 2018.

Gauteng also have achieved the highest percentage bachelor (matric exemptions) passes since 1994.

“Gauteng contributed the highest number of candidates qualifying for Bachelor studies in 2019 at 43 494 who wrote qualified for admission to Bachelor studies. This is up from 41 410 bachelors passes in 2018. 

“Gauteng achieved the highest bachelor rate of all provinces. Nationally, we contributed 23.4% of all bachelors achieved,” said Lesufi.

Over 30.28% of learners, or 29 587 learners who wrote, passed with a diploma pass. 

“I am encouraged by the fact that more learners who passed the National Senior Certificate exams in 2019, of 74.73% learners (73 028 of 97 717 learners), passed with a Bachelor or Diploma pass qualifying them to go into higher education. This up from 73.97% in 2018,” said the MEC. – SAnews.gov.za