Edition February 2025

The Department of Education (DBE) has committed to embark on an urgent strategic reorientation of the education system with a focus on strengthening foundational learning.

During the release of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube urged provinces, districts and schools to develop strategies to reverse the decline in enrolments for critical subjects like mathatics and science.

“The systemic interventions that we will undertake in this regard include expanding access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) for learners before they enter the basic education system and improving the quality of teaching and learning in the foundation phase,” she said.

Gwarube believes this strategic shift toward prioritising ECD and the foundation phase will significantly improve learning outcomes from Grade R through to Grade 12.

In doing so, the Minister said South Africa can expect to see more learners moving through the schooling system with greater confidence to take on and succeed in subjects that set them on a path for personal and professional success.

The Class of 2024

The Minister commended the Class of 2024 for their resilience and dedication over the past four years. Having entered Grade 8 in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they navigated significant disruptions to teaching and learning both locally and globally.

The cohort also entered Grade 9 during the pandemic, a Grade that is key for subject selection for Grades 10 to 12, which ultimately shape their career parts. It was also affected by the evolving budget pressures that affected provincial departments and schools, social ills including violence, gangsterism and the new trend of protection-fee rackets terrorising local schools.

“Despite these challenges, we have seen the highest rate of learners enrolled for Grade 12 in 2024 writing the NSC exams since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the Minister.

Approximately 97% of learners enrolled for Grade 12 in 2024 ultimately wrote the NSC exams in 2024.

Extra support

Initiatives driven by the DBE to support the Class of 2024 included personalised learning interventions, additional teaching support and socio-emotional care.

“To provide further support, provinces rolled out extra face-to-face tuition sessions, Saturday catch-up programmes and extended school hours to ensure adequate revision in key subjects,” said the Minister.

These initiatives targeted learners who were struggling to cope with the curriculum content due to earlier disruptions, focusing on key subjects.

In addition to classroom-based interventions, learners have also benefited from extensive support in the form of revision materials, past question papers, and online resources made available through public-private partnerships with stakeholders, including Vodacom, MTN, and the National Education Collaboration Trust among other corporate partners.

The number of full-time candidates who wrote the NSC examinations increased from 691 160 in 2023 to 705 291 in
2024. The number of learners with special education needs increased from 5 288 in 2023 to 6 470 in 2024.

Furthermore, a total of 556 726 learners who are beneficiaries of social grants wrote the NSC examinations in 2024, showing an increase of 12 938 when compared to 2023.

The 2024 NSC results

Minister Gwarube said the results show that the country’s schooling system is maturing, although there is still much work to be done to improve the qual- ity of education outcomes. She cleared the misunderstanding on the 30% pass rate that most critics of the education system often quote.

“To pass the NSC, learners are not required simply to get 30% across all subjects, which is often misconceived to be the only pass requirement for the NSC. Instead, they are required to get at least 40% in their home language and two other subjects and at least 30% for three other subjects and must pass at least 6 out of their 7 subjects,” she explained.

She announced that 615 429 learners passed the NSC in 2024, the highest number in South African history. As a result, the national pass rate for the 2024 NSC rose from 82.9% in 2023 to 87.3%.

The Free State was the top-performing province, with a pass rate of 91.0%, up from 89.0% in 2023. KwaZulu-Natal followed closely, achieving a pass rate of 89.5%, an increase of 3.2% from the previous year.

Gauteng ranked third, raising its pass rate from 85.4% in 2023 to 88.4% in 2024. North West followed with 87.5%, marking a 5.9% increase from 2023. The Western Cape came fifth with 86.6%, a 5% rise from 2023.

Limpopo ranked sixth with a pass rate of 85.01%, reflecting a 5.5% increase from 2023, followed by Mpumalanga at 84.99%, a notable 8% rise from the previous year. The Eastern Cape achieved a pass rate of 84.98%, up by 3.6%, while the Northern Cape rounded up the list with 84.2%.

A healthy education system

“While we celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2024, we must also reflect on the health of our basic education system. A healthy schooling system is not measured solely by matric results but by a com- prehensive set of indicators that reflect its quality and equity,” she said.

The Minister explained that the basic education sector serves 12.7 million learners, with over 740 000 enrolled in independent schools. It also employs over 460 000 educators, operates close to 24 850 schools, and managed about 889 circuit offices, 75 education districts and nine provincial education departments.

These figures underscore the scale of education as a critical and complex responsibility of a democratic government. However, the Minister added that this should not be solely the work of government.

“Education is fundamentally a social undertaking, shaping individuals and communities for a better future, and that can never be the task of government alone, when society invests collectively in education, it fosters greater equity and inclusivity,” she said.

She highlighted that South Africa has made significant strides in improving access to basic education, with 98% of children between the ages of 7 and 15 now enrolled in schools.

While acknowledging the progress in expanding access, she emphasised the need to enhance the quality of education. The goal is for learners to leave school with the skills and qualifications that not only open doors to higher education but also enable them to enter the job market and lead lives of dignity.