Record pass rate of 88% for Class of 2025
Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube
Image: Simon Majadibodu/IOL
SA’s Class of 2025 has crossed the finish line with a record national matric pass rate of 88%, education minister Siviwe Gwarube said on Monday night.
That is the highest in the country’s history.
And it was KwaZulu-Natal that reigned supreme, recording 90,6%, followed by the Free State with 89.33% and Gauteng with 89.06%.
The North West banked 88.49% in fourth place, followed by the Western Cape with 88.2% and the Northern Cape with 87.79%.
Mpumalanga recorded 86.55%, Limpopo 86.15%, while the Eastern Cape finished on 84.17%.
Gwarube released the results in a live televised address from the Mosaiek Church in Fairland, Johannesburg, where she said almost a million pupils had written the final exams after a demanding year.
While the national percentage of bachelor passes dropped slightly from 48% to 46%, the number of students achieving bachelor passes reached a record high.
About 345,000 learners earned bachelor's passes, an increase of 8,700 students compared to the previous year.
Gwarube also said all 75 districts achieved a pass rate of 80% or higher.
A cheating scandal has rocked the grade 12 cohort of 2025.
Gwarube previously said students involved in the exam paper leaks will have to wait longer for their results.
The education department said the number of pupils implicated has risen from 26 to 40. Those found guilty will face standard penalties, including being barred from writing exams for up to three exam periods.
The class of 2024 achieved a pass rate of 87.3%.
IOL News