The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) released the breakdown for the pass rate achieved by the various provincial districts in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.
The Western Cape excelled with a NSC pass rate of 86.6%, which is a 5.1 percentage increase on last year’s pass rate. This is also the Western Cape’s highest NSC pass rate ever.
The province’s bachelor pass rate, which is a crucial indicator of the quality of matric passes, has also increased by 5.6 percentage points to 47.8%. This is also the highest bachelors pass rate the Western Cape Education department has achieved to date.
Eden and Central Karoo Education District is the top performing district, with a pass rate of 89.28% - an increase of 4.69 percentage points from 2023.
This is the highest pass rate ever achieved by the district in the NSC, Education MEC David Maynier said.
“Congratulations to district director Jewel Jonkers and his team for this excellent achievement! This is my third year celebrating matric results as MEC and it is my third year doing so in the Metro East Education District.
“Gone are the days when Metro East held the bottom spot on the district log. They have gone from strength to strength, and this year have improved their pass rate again, by 4.98 percentage points to 88.50%.
“This is again the highest pass rate the district has achieved in the NSC to date. Congratulations to Director Landie Diamond and her team as they continue to drive improvement in the district. Every district in the Western Cape improved their pass rate and every district now has a pass rate above 80% for the first time for 2016,” Maynier said.
• Metro North Education District – 88.46% (+3.06)
Metro North previously achieved 86.2% in 2021 but thereafter saw a dip and only managed 85.9% pass for both 2022 and 2023.
• Overberg Education District – 88.21% (+4.33)
In Overberg, the district achieved 81.8% in 2021, and then built on those successes managing 84.0% in 2022, and 84.1% in 2023.
• Metro Central Education District – 84.20% (+3.31)
While the Metro Central district has improved, the result is on par with what the distinct previously achieved in 2021 (84.2%), and the district then achieved 85.2% in 2022, before dropping again to 82.4% achieved in 2023.
• West Coast Education District – 84.19% (+6.50)
The West Coast office managed to reverse their luck as they were on a decline, having achieved 80.7% pass rate in 2021 and then dropping to 79.0% in 2022, and having another decline in 2023 only achieving 77.7%.
• Metro South Education District – 83.83% (+5.94)
Metro South was on a similar trajectory as the West Coast district. The district achieved 80.3% in 2021, dropping from that to 79.0% in 2022, and then dropping again to 78.5% in 2023.
• Cape Winelands Education District – 83.44% (+8.83)
The Cape Winelands district had in recent years to stay in the mid-70s range, having achieved 76.5% in 2021, and then improving on that for 22 with 77.7, but ultimately declining again to 74.7% in 2023.
Speaking to the strength of this year’s results, Maynier said that across the province, they have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of schools achieving a pass rate of below 60%, which is considered to be “underperforming”.
“In 2023, 29 schools were underperforming, and in 2024, there are just 5 schools that did not achieve a pass rate higher than 60%. We will support these schools to improve their results in 2025.”
The WCED also touted their quintile results:
- Quintile 1 schools increased their pass rate by 9.2 percentage points to 81.2% and their bachelors pass rate by a whopping 12.2 percentage points to 39.9%.
- Quintile 2 schools increased their pass rate by 5.4 percentage points to 82.9%, and their bachelors pass rate by 7.3 percentage points to 37.8%.
- Quintile 3 schools increased their pass rate by 5.0 percentage points to 83.0%, and their bachelors pass rate by 4.6 percentage points to 36.8%.
The Western Cape also funds selected Quintile 4 and 5 schools to become no-fee schools in low-income communities.
- Quintile 4 no-fee schools achieved a pass rate of 80.3% (+7.3) and a bachelors pass rate of 31.9% (+5.3),
- While Quintile 5 no-fee schools achieved a pass rate of 82.4% (+10.7) and a bachelors pass rate of 31.0% (+5.9).
Equal Education spokesperson, Ayanda Sishi-Wigzell while celebrating the 2024 NSC achievements said it is important to not be distracted from the systemic injustices and policy failures that force learners to succeed despite the odds, rather than because of the system’s support.
“Education is a fundamental right, not a test of endurance. Protecting and nurturing learner potential requires a transformative commitment from the DBE and government at large to prioritise equitable investment in education, foundational learning, and dignified schooling environments.
“South Africa’s future depends on an education system that does more than produce proteas; it must empower every learner to thrive and blossom, free from the constraints of inequality and neglect,” Sishi-Wigzell said.
While the department may have set its targets on improving on this year’s stellar results, the impact of cuts to teacher posts does create a conundrum for them as teachers have previously shared their concerns about class size and district support.
One teacher, with six years of experience said: “As teachers, we often feel unsupported by the WCED and district offices, which seem to prioritise appraisals that benefit their interests, over providing meaningful assistance to educators. Their visits are often limited to suburban schools, where hospitality is offered, leaving township schools to navigate challenges with little to no external support.
“Cape Town’s schools face additional socio-economic challenges, such as hunger, transport delays, and the struggle of readjusting learners to structured environments after holidays. Behavioural management and addressing learning gaps will be key priorities as we start the new term.
“Unfortunately, the teacher-to-learner ratio in township schools remains dire, with classes often exceeding 40–50 learners per teacher. Recent decisions to cut teacher posts will only exacerbate this crisis, placing greater strain on already stretched school systems.”
Another teacher who recently left the profession said they are plaing their focus on growing a tutoring business.
“I don’t feel like we’re getting the support we need from the department. Our kids aren’t being given the opportunities they deserve… The loss of 2 400 teacher posts will likely lead to overcrowded classrooms, increased teacher workloads, disrupted learning, subject shortages, and discipline challenges. Teacher morale and education quality may also suffer, delaying the academic year's start,” the educator said.
“With the challenges and disappointments we are facing in South Africa's education system, it’s more important than ever to offer personalised support that empowers students.”