Motshekga praises class of 2020 despite 5% drop

Lungani Zungu

The matric class of 2020 has defied what appeared to be insurmountable odds to achieve a national pass rate of 76.2%.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said: “I expected a bloodbath.

“I’m really grateful because these learners faced a monumental challenge but still made it.”

The minister said the havoc wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic which forced the country to go into hard lockdown last March created unbelievably difficult challenges for teaching in the country.

Despite the 5% drop when compared to the matric class of 2019, Motshekga said the 2020 matric class had produced quality results.

“If it weren’t for Covid, this class could have produced the best results ever,” she said.

The results are as follows:

  • Free State 85,1%
  • Gauteng  83,8%
  • Western Cape 79,9%
  • KwaZulu-Natal 77,6 %
  • North West 76,2%
  • Mpumalanga 73,7% 
  • Limpopo 68,2%
  • Eastern Cape 68,1%
  • Northern Cape 66,6%

At least 36,5% of matric pupils achieved a bachelor’s pass, with 26% scoring a diploma pass.

Motshekga announced that 83,6% of prison inmates had passed their matric examination. 

Of the 124 inmates who sat for the exams, 71 passed with bachelors.

For the 2020 academic year, 725,034 pupils were registered to write with 607,226 writing exams.

More than 2,100 special needs learners wrote, and over 2,000 passed.

The top three best performing districts were Tshwane South followed by Gauteng West with Gauteng North coming in at number three.

The minister encouraged those who did not make it to register for the Matric Second Chance Programme.

Picture source: @GovernmentZA

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