The class of 2025 has achieved an overall pass rate of 88% for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, with KwaZulu-Natal being the top province. This is a slight improvement from the 2024 cohort, which achieved 87.3%, and 82.9% in 2023. Announcing the results in Johannesburg on Monday, basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube said: “This was the largest class in history to sit for the final results.
We are reaching more pupils in grade 12. The story [of this cohort] begins in 2014, a story of resilience, including having gone through Covid-19.” [INFOGRAPHIC | Matric class of 2025 achieves 88% overall pass rate, highest so farOpens in new window] It is a big day for matriculants around the country who receive their results today.In Fountain Avenue, Walmer in Gqeberha, Walmer High School matriculants are already celebrating.#matric2025📹 Eugene Coetzeepic.twitter.com/n4oPMWxHe0 Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube has candidly acknowledged the deep challenges facing South Africa’s school system, saying it is still failing to produce enough pupils with critical maths skills. On Monday night she announced the results of the national senior certificate (NSC) exams, which recorded a historic 88% pass rate — the highest since the advent of democracy in 1994.
“Just 162,947 students achieved 30% or higher for maths, a sharp decline on the 173,774 who attained this threshold in 2024.” [Record matric pass rate masks decline in maths uptake and performanceOpens in new window] Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube has called on political parties to stop spreading the misleading perception that 30% is the official matric pass mark. Speaking at the release of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results on Monday, Gwarube warned the persistent myth could discourage pupils from striving for excellence. “South Africans, we must put a stubborn myth to rest: 30% is not the matric pass mark,” she said.
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