UPDATES | SA records 80.1% matric pass in 2022, up from 76.4% in 2021

January 20 2023 - 17:54

Floods, protests and Covid-19 could not stop KZN matric class of 2022

KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has commended the matric class of 2022 for overcoming the challenges the province faced and achieving a dramatic increase in the pass rate to 83%.

"We congratulate the students for increasing from 76.80% to 83%. The results reflect an improvement in all our districts, with Umkhanyakude being the most improved district," Dube-Ncube said.

January 20 2023 - 15:21

IN PICS | Jubilant KZN matriculants in midnight celebration

Matriculants from KwaZulu-Natal were seen at various petrol stations at midnight on Friday, wanting to get their hands on newspapers to check if they had passed their exams. 

January 20 2023 - 14:35

EDITORIAL | SA’s education policies need a drastic overhaul

The annual release of the final matric results is a joyous occasion when the top achievers are revealed. In the moments while reading and hearing their stories, we feel admiration for those young adults whose many hours of hard work and dedication finally paid off.

It was emotional watching the honouring of these pupils at an event with basic education minister Angie Motshekga on Thursday night, where parents, relatives and teachers proudly celebrated with their children.

Some of the stories of the best performing students from government and private schools show how children from all walks of life faced their own unique hurdles. 

January 20 2023 - 14:15

POLL | Are you impressed with the matric pass rate?

The release of the matric results this week has sparked a debate around government’s competence and the futures of many who sat for the exams.

The pass rate has increased since 2020 and many applauded the department for a job well done. Others questioned the results and suggested they were inflated. 

January 20 2023 - 13:45

Dramatic increase in number of KZN schools achieving 100% pass rates

The number of schools to achieve a 100% pass rate in KwaZulu-Natal increased from 145 in 2021 to 212 in 2022.

The Ugu district ranked first for the third consecutive year, with an 87.2% success rate.

This was revealed by KZN education MEC Mbali Frazer at the announcement of the 2022 matric results at Bethsaida Ministries International in Durban on Friday.

January 20 2023 - 13:29

Proud, grateful Greenside High pupils can't wait to get started at varsity

A tech boffin wannabe from Greenside High School in Johannesburg says an adventure in Antarctica taught him more about climate change and sustainability. 

Mohammed Hassan, who got university entrance confirmation on Friday, said he is looking forward to better resources and university life.

January 20 2023 - 13:21

'My daughter gives her all,' says proud KZN mom of matric top scorer

KwaZulu-Natal north coast matriculant Nikita Govender, who scored top marks in seven subjects, says her achievement exceeded her expectations.

“I worked hard and hoped for the best. My final exams were tougher than the trials. But I had set goals,” she said.

Govender, 18, who attended Mountainview Secondary School in Verulam, scored As in maths, Afrikaans, life sciences, English, physical science, life orientation and information and technology.

January 20 2023 - 11:26

DA disputes matric pass rate, EFF calls for department to account for pupils ‘lost in the system’

The DA has refuted the 2022 matric results as inaccurate, claiming the “real” matric pass rate is only 54.6%.

The National Senior Certificate results were announced by basic education minister Angie Motshekga on Thursday. She hailed an overall pass rate of 80.1%, an increase from 76.4% the previous year.

January 20 2023 - 11:17

Focus on your books, advises matric top achiever

One of South Africa’s top performing matriculants, Husnaa Haffejee of Durban's Al-Falaah College, felt the pressure throughout her grade 12 academic year but focused on her books. 

On Friday she advised the class of 2023 to do the same.

“Focus on your books,” she said. “When you are a top performer, people have high expectations of you, and I really struggled with that pressure. I was worried all year I wouldn’t meet the expectations.

January 20 2023 - 10:46

'It's surreal to be done with school': Parktown High girls look forward to varsity studies

It’s a big day for matriculants from state schools across the country and Parktown High School for Girls in Parkview, Johannesburg, is abuzz with excited pupils.

They gathered at the school to get hard copies of their results on Friday morning.

Husna Badat, one of the top pupils at the school, said the feeling of holding her statement was one she could not define.

January 20 2023 - 09:33

Western Cape matriculants among ‘best of the best’

Five candidates from the Western Cape have been recognised for being “the best of the best”, including the top candidate in the country, after the release of the 2022 matric results by basic education minister Angie Motshekga.

Kelly Grace Prowse from Rustenburg Girls’ High School emerged as the country’s top candidate in quintile 5, followed by Simone Anna Mart Louw (Bloemhof High School) and Kenneth Janson (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl).

January 20 2023 - 07:03

Most matriculants who were pushed from grade 11 to 12 failed matric

While the matric class of 2022 recorded an impressive 80.1% pass rate, most pupils who failed grade 11 but were “progressed” to grade 12 did not shine in last year’s exams.

Only 20,975 or 43.3%, of the 48,361 “progressed” pupils passed the exams, with 3,235 achieving a Bachelor pass.

At least 54.5% of candidates in Mpumalanga passed, followed by 54.4% of their peers from Free State, 50% from KwaZulu-Natal and 45.5% from Gauteng.

Only 26.5% of progressed pupils in Western Cape passed.

January 19 2023 - 22:05

Matrics shrugged off load-shedding, Covid-19 to record impressive passes

The matric class of 2022 achieved a pass rate of 80.1%, up from 76.4% the year before.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga released the results at an event at the Mosaiek Church in Johannesburg on Thursday night. 

The Free State was the best-performing province for the fourth consecutive year, at 88.5%, followed by Gauteng (84.4%), KwaZulu-Natal (83%), Western Cape (81.4%), North West (79.8%), Eastern Cape (77.3%), Mpumalanga (76.8%), Northern Cape (74.2%) and Limpopo (72.1%).

January 19 2023 - 19:10

Hyping up provinces' matric results encourages cheating, says Naptosa

While education departments from different provinces each year eagerly await to hear how they, along with their districts, schools and individual pupils, fared, teachers' union Naptosa says the desire to be among the top performers is not always good. 

In a statement released shortly after basic education minister Angie Motshekga released the results, the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa said: “Naptosa cautions the department against the matric hype and provincial league tables. This is encouraging undesirable, desperate and dishonest acts.”

January 19 2023 - 19:10

SA records 80.1% matric pass in 2022, up from 76.4% in 2021

The matric class of 2022 achieved a 80.1% pass rate, up from 76.4% the year before.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga released the results at an event in Johannesburg on Thursday night.

January 19 2023 - 18:50

Pupils from poorer schools fared better in 2022 matric exams

A total of 169,903 grade 12 pupils attending quintile 1-3 schools (the poorest schools) and 93,899 from quintile 4 and 5 schools (wealthy schools) achieved a bachelor’s pass in last year’s matric exams.

The percentage of pupils from the poorest schools achieving a bachelor’s pass increased from 61% in 2021 to 64.4% while bachelor passes produced by pupils from affluent schools dropped from 38.2%  to 35.6% over the same period. 

January 19 2023 - 17:50

Class of 2022 top scholars: it was tough, but we enjoyed it

The top pupils of the matric class of 2022 had a mixed bag of challenges in their final year — and conquered most of them.

Load-shedding, their mental health and sick family members were just some of the hurdles as they juggled their studies.

January 19 2023 - 14:11

‘I was depressed, but I made it’: 2022 matric top achiever from Limpopo

One of the country’s top matriculants, from Ga-Mphahlele, Limpopo, says he suffered depression during the year but with family support he conquered it. 

Moeletsi Tladi from Segopotse Secondary School was one of the pupils honoured at a ministerial breakfast in Johannesburg on Thursday.

January 19 2023 - 12:11

LISTEN | 'Grooming youth to be employees is not going to help'

Young people should be groomed to improve production in South Africa to free it from the crisis it is in, says the founder of the South African Council for Graduates.

January 19 2023 - 12:04

'We were extremely concerned about you,' Motshekga tells top 2022 matrics

The country's top matric achievers for 2022 were honoured in Johannesburg on Thursday during a ministerial breakfast.

Minister of basic education Angie Motshekga said the department had been extremely worried about this matric cohort.

January 19 2023 - 11:59

Grandmother of deaf top achiever proud to take her first flight to Joburg

The 70-year-old grandmother of a deaf top achiever is elated as a celebration event gave her the opportunity to fly in an aircraft and visit Johannesburg for the first time. 

Tholakele Madlala from Mbali in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, told TimesLIVE she was over the moon. 

January 19 2023 - 07:56

Education system isn’t equipping learners with right skills for jobs: Lesetja Kganyago

Persistently high unemployment in South Africa is a structural problem that the central bank doesn’t have the tools to address and should be dealt with by changing the nation’s education policy, South African Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said. 

At 32.9%, South Africa’s official unemployment rate is the third highest on a list of 82 countries and the eurozone monitored by Bloomberg. It has exceeded 20% for at least two decades largely due to sluggish economic growth, and strict labour laws and bureaucratic hurdles that make it difficult for local companies to hire additional workers.

January 18 2023 - 21:02

Smiles and hugs all round as IEB matriculants celebrate their results

Have a balanced life.

This was the common message from the matric class of 2022 at St David's Marist Inanda school in Sandton.

It was a morning filled with smiles, hugs and congratulatory messages exchanged among  parents and pupils alike as they arrived to get their results at the school on Wednesday morning.

January 18 2023 - 13:05

There are too many subjects, says Redhill principal on anxiety at school

The executive head of the private English medium Redhill School says though its pupils achieved great results, he wishes the curriculum could be standardised in a way that reduces pupils' anxiety.

Parents and matric pupils converged at the school in Sandton on Wednesday to receive their Independent Examinations Board (IEB) results.

January 18 2023 - 13:05

Cornwall Hill matriculant beats school’s record with 15 distinctions

Cornwall Hill College matriculant Luke Andrews has hit a record first at the Centurion school by receiving 15 distinctions.

Private-school pupils who wrote through the Independent Examination Board (IEB) achieved a 98.42% pass rate in 2022.

January 18 2023 - 12:15

Diabetes didn't stop St David's matriculant coming tops

Type 1 diabetes didn't stop Matteo Buxman from St David's Marist in Sandton, Johannesburg, achieving top results. 

He told TimesLIVE on Wednesday being diabetic has been his greatest challenge.

“I have an insulin pump. It's always on my mind. I have to think about keeping my blood sugar level under control. So far I've managed. I was diagnosed when I was five years old, so I've had it all my life. It's a challenge that is always there but I conquer it,” Buxman said. 

January 18 2023 - 10:44

KZN's IEB schools produce top results

KwaZulu-Natal’s private schools are in celebration mode over the top results their pupils achieved in the Independent Examination Board matric exams.

Reddam House College in Ballito delivered its first cohort of matriculants who achieved a 100% bachelor's degree pass rate.

The school was third-highest in the Inspired Education Group with top pupil Gia Naicker achieving eight distinctions.

January 18 2023 - 09:02

‘I’m surprised by the results’ — Saheti’s top achiever

The 2022 top achievers from Bedfordview’s Saheti School are gearing up for bright futures in medicine and other disciplines.

Hannah Hill is Saheti’s top candidate. She achieved the highest average of 95% and full house distinctions in 11 subjects. In 10 subjects she achieved  90% and higher.

January 18 2023 - 07:54

Dainfern College celebrates its class of 2022

The Dainfern College matric class of 2022 achieved remarkable results for both Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and Cambridge A level, achieving a 100% pass rate for both academic streams.

According to the school, the top pupils in both streams averaged in the 80% mark, with a full house of distinctions in the subjects written.

January 18 2023 - 07:35

Some of the Joburg independent schools that excelled in 2022

A number of independent schools in Johannesburg whose pupils wrote matric exams through the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) last year recorded exceptional results.

The IEB announced pupils who wrote the National Senior Certificate (NSC) achieved a 98.42% pass rate in last year’s exams, slightly higher than 98.39% in 2021.

January 18 2023 - 06:17

Hilton College’s top pupil bags eight distinctions

Top Hilton College matriculant Tanner Bailey, who bagged eight distinctions in the Independent Examination Board (IEB) exams, has his sights set on studying business at a US Ivy League university.

But while he waits for word from Harvard, Brown, Princeton and Columbia universities, Bailey, 18, will pursue a business degree at the University of Cape Town.

January 18 2023 - 00:00

IEB matric class of 2022 obtains 98.42% pass

At least 89.32% of the cohort attained entry to degree study at university while 7.52% passed with a diploma and 1.57% with a higher certificate

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