Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga joins Premier of KZN, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, and the MEC for Education in KZN, Mbalenhle Cleopatra Frazer (in green), at the Durban ICC to celebrate the province's top achievers.Pic: Supplied (KZN Premier's office)
KwaZulu Natal recorded a significant improvement in the matric pass rate for the class of 2023 which achieved a 86.36% pass rate — a 3.63 percentage point increase over the province’s 2022 performance.
According to the matric results released by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, KZN — which in the 2022 academic year came third in the country — overtook Gauteng, becoming the second highest performing province after the Free State, which recorded an 89.3% pass rate in the 2023 academic year.
The performance of KZN, which had 167 247 matric examination candidates — the highest when compared to all the other provinces — pushed the national pass rate to 82.90%.
The 2023 national pass rate of 82.90% represents a 2.8 percentage point improvement from the 2022 academic year’s 80.1%.
Twenty six schools in the province achieved a 100% pass rate from 2019 to 2023.
Some of these schools in the eThekwini region include: Star College, AM Moolla Spes Nova School, Kwathintwa School for the Deaf, Roseway Waldorf, Usethubeni Youth, Westville Girls High, Al-Falaah College, Durban Girls High, Ihsaan Boys College, Orient Islamic School.
Star College, that prides itself as a high-profile academic school boasts six pupils with nine distinctions each and a whopping 91 students with eight distinctions each.
The star pupils said they thrived under pressure.
Out of the 897 775 candidates who sat for the 2023 matric examination, 282 000 obtained marks allowing them to enrol for Bacher Degree studies.
“The Bachelor passes in number and percentage, are the highest attained in the entire history of the NSC exams.
“KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng contributed the most Bachelor passes,” Ms Motshekga said.
Teacher union NAPTOSA extended its congratulations to the province’s teachers and pupils.
“The pupils and teachers have much to celebrate. The province has firmly established itself as the second-best performing province in the country; this is a remarkable achievement. Circumstances have not always been ideal. However, teachers ensured that our learners were taught during the weekends and school holidays to ensure that learners were well prepared. An increase in the number of Bachelor's passes is definitely a sign of a system that is improving and strengthening,” said Thirona Moodley.