By Anita Dangazele
- Eastern Cape matric pass rate drops to 84.2 percent missing the province target of 87 percent.
- More pupils failed matric in 2025 as floods strikes and school suspensions disrupted exams.
The Eastern Cape matric class of 2025 has failed to reach the province’s pass rate target.
The province recorded an overall pass rate of 84.2 percent. This is slightly lower than the 84.9 percent achieved in 2024. The target set by the department was 87 percent.
Despite the drop, education officials say no district performed below 80 percent. All 12 education districts remained above that level in the latest matric exams.
Last year, 106,561 pupils wrote matric in the province. Of those, 89,694 passed.
In 2024, 99,739 pupils wrote, and 84,760 passed.
The number of pupils who failed increased. In 2024, 14,979 pupils failed. That number rose to 16,867 in 2025.
The results were announced by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube in Gauteng on Monday evening.
Bachelor passes also declined. In 2024, 45.78 percent of Eastern Cape pupils qualified for university entry. That dropped to 41.54 percent in 2025.
This means 1,395 fewer pupils qualified to study at university.
Education MEC Fundile Gade said several problems during the year affected results.
Floods in the OR Tambo region disrupted teaching and learning. Scholar transport strikes during the June and November exams also affected attendance.
Gade said the suspension of 12 school principals just before exams, over alleged financial misconduct, hurt performance at some big schools.
More than 30 teachers were also suspended in eight districts over serious allegations, including sexual misconduct.
“Suspending principals and teachers during the exam period cost us at some large schools,” Gade said.
He admitted the department made mistakes and said better plans are needed to deal with disruptions.
Joe Gqabi is believed to be the top performing district, followed by Chris Hani East. Nelson Mandela Bay, Sarah Baartman and Buffalo City Metro also performed well.
Opposition parties and education activists warned that pass rates do not show the full picture. They said many pupils still drop out between Grade Ten and Grade Twelve.
Pictured above: Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade.
Image source: GCIS Eastern Cape
