14 January 2025 

EMBARGO: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THE 2024 NSC EXAMINATION RESULTS INDICATE SLOW BUT STEADY IMPROVEMENT IN THE SYSTEM AND THIS IS TO BE WELCOMED. 

The Governing Body Foundation (GBF) congratulates the class of 2024 on their results as well as everyone who has supported their learning journey to this point. A national pass rate of 87,3%, a 4,4% improvement on the results of 2023, is a well-deserved outcome of sustained efforts by the national and provincial education departments to support learners and teachers and the hard work the grade 12s and their teachers. 

The increase in the number of successful candidates and the improvement in the percentage of learners attaining bachelor’s degree entrance passes (47% of the group), and fewer than 1% of learners achieving the lowest class of pass (the “thirty percenters”) demonstrates an improvement in the quality of the passes despite the interruptions in learning caused by school closure and rotational learning owing to Covid-19. 

However, the GBF has some concerns. 

At what cost has the pass rate and “quality” improved? 

 The drop in numbers of learners taking or passing Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Accounting must be fully investigated and understood so that appropriate action can be taken to increase the number and quality of passes in these subjects. Some learners drop these subjects because they fear that they will fail the subjects and thus fail the NSC or not get 50% in four subjects and therefore not obtain a bachelor’s entrance pass. Competition and pressure to achieve high pass rates and bachelor’s degree entrance rates amongst provinces, education districts and schools may have had the unintended consequences of encouraging learners to take subjects which are deemed easier and in which they have more confidence of passing. These may not be the economic gateway subjects. 

Learners have achieved these improved results often with intense support, including many additional days of teaching. This level of support would not be available to them when studying at universities. Does their NSC success indicate a readiness for the teaching and learning mode of higher education? The GBF raises this issue because the aim of the education system to be efficient cannot be achieved if so much extra effort, and huge expense in the form of learning camps each holiday, weekend schooling, extended school days, is necessary in the last year or two of schooling. It is time to make sure that the learning outcomes required at every grade level are attained and every school day starting from grade R is used effectively so that grade 12 learners and teachers do not have to fill the accumulated learning gaps as well as complete the grade 12 curriculum which necessitates the additional classes. The GBF does, however, commend all the role-players who have put in the extra effort, time and money to enable more learners in the 2024 cohort to be successful. The support material, including online resources, which can be used in successive years, are particularly helpful. Increasing access to these must be supported. 

Another concern is that the successful learners may face disappointment because higher education institutions (universities) do not have the capacity to receive this increased number of students qualifying for entrance, and because access to funding is also limited. The GBF urges both the Department of Basic Education and Department of Higher Education to work together to ensure that South African learners’ education pathways are not brought to a dramatic halt once a NSC certificate is obtained. Greater diversity of quality and affordable tertiary learning opportunities is needed. 

The GBF notes that learners who were actively obtaining a social grant (those under 18 years of age) obtained a pass rate of 92% which was above the national pass rate. This necessary support for these learners must be continued so that they can pursue tertiary education and ultimately become economically independent. 

The GBF supports the Minister’s plans for system improvement as briefly expressed in her speech prior to announcing the results. These strategies are clear to everyone but both the will to implement them and the funding to do so are critical. 

The GBF joins the appeal from all stakeholders in the education sector to the national treasury to prioritise education funding which must then be carefully targeted and accounted for to achieve maximum benefit for the development of the country. An acceptable learner to teacher ratio in every school cannot be compromised as the consequences of overcrowded classrooms and overloaded teachers will negate the value of education expenditure. 

The GBF commits itself to assist its member schools to do the very best they can to improve the quality of education at their schools. 

Issued by Dr Anthea Cereseto 

National Chief Executive officer 

The Governing Body Foundation