Ramaphosa: Matric results proof of SA’s progress
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the
2024 matric results are proof of the progress made in undoing
apartheid’s legacy of inequality.
The country achieved its highest-ever national pass rate of 87.3%.
Ramaphosa said the achievement is a testament to pupils’ personal commitment and advances in the Basic Education sector.
"The Class of 2024 are a proud contribution to and evidence of our progress as a nation during 30 years of freedom and democracy," Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
"They also provide proof that we are undoing apartheid’s planned legacy of intergenerational indignity, disadvantage and poverty for the majority of South Africans."
READ: Class of 2024 ‘proud’ of historic pass rate
Meanwhile, political parties have also weighed in on the exam results.
The DA's Delmaine Christians said the results are a testament to the hard work and commitment of teachers, school leaders, and families across the country.
"Improving our national pass rate starts with a strong foundation in early childhood development and well-trained teachers who inspire success."
However, Build One South Africa believes the matric pass rate is misleading.
The party's spokesperson, Roger Solomons, said it is problematic that out of the 1.2 million learners who began school in grade 1 in 2013, just 615,000 passed matric.
ALSO READ: KZN achieves most Bachelor passes
"This means that our 590,000 young people didn't make it or dropped out, and this is because of a broken education system. So, there is nothing different between the ANC and DA, who inflates these statistics, and as BOSA we remain firm that in order to fix this broken education system as a start, is to increase the pass mark percentage," Solomons said.
Lobby group AfriForum said they are concerned about students who disappeared from the school system before being able to write the matric exam.
"As long as thousands of learners leave schools without passing their matric, the country will face even more serious economic and social problems in future. The content of the new BELA Act will also further weaken the quality of education in the country, rather than addressing the current challenges," said AfriForum’s Alana Bailey.
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