#ClassOf2024 delivers excellent district and school results!

Statement by Minister David Maynier, Minister of Education Western Cape

This morning I visited Joe Slovo Secondary School in Khayelitsha to celebrate the release of the matric results to candidates, and to celebrate the incredible improvement in the school’s matric results.

Joe Slovo’s matric pass rate increased from 87.2% in 2023 to an incredible 99.3% – an increase of 12.1 percentage points and their highest pass rate since the National Senior Certificate was introduced in 2008.

More importantly, their bachelors pass rate more than doubled, from 25.1% in 2023 to 56.2% in 2024!

Joe Slovo Secondary’s #ClassOf2024 achieved a total of 41 subject distinctions, with 6 distinctions for Mathematics (including 2 candidates with over 90% for Mathematics) and 3 distinctions for Physical Science.

The school’s Mathematics pass rate increased to 96.0%, from 56.5% in 2023. The Physical Science pass rate increased to 85.2%, from 56.2% in 2023. These subjects are critical indicators of quality passes.

Joe Slovo Secondary School principal Mr Sithyilelo Ntamo said:

“Our school was one of the schools in Khayelitsha that have been battling to produce good results. Through the dedication and resilience of our educators we have managed to take the school from the rock bottom of the table to a better position. As a school we have done everything we were supposed to do in making sure that our learners are getting good quality results. The 2024 learners have proved to us throughout the year that they will give us good results and they did not disappoint us.”

In 2009, just 50.5% of our Khayelitsha candidates passed matric, and only 9.3% achieved a bachelors pass.

Through many years of hard work by school staff and learners, and support from the Metro East Education District, these schools have improved in leaps and bounds. In 2024, 87.6% of the candidates at schools in Khayelitsha passed their matric, with a bachelors pass rate of 47.8%.

We look forward to seeing schools in Khayelitsha go from strength to strength.

District results

Eden and Central Karoo Education District is our 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. Congratulations to district director Jewel Jonkers and his team for this excellent achievement!

This is my third year celebrating matric results as Minister of Education, 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 since 2016:

• Metro North Education District – 88.46% (+3.06)
• Overberg Education District – 88.21% (+4.33)
• Metro Central Education District – 84.20% (+3.31)
• West Coast Education District – 84.19% (+6.50)
• Metro South Education District – 83.83% (+5.94)
• Cape Winelands Education District – 83.44% (+8.83)

Across the province, we 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.

Quintile results

Our no-fee schools did us proud this year, with an increased pass rate and bachelors pass rate. Every quintile now has a pass rate of over 80%.

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).

Re-marks, re-checks, and June exams

We encourage all learners who did not pass their exams not to give up and to continue doing whatever they can to complete Grade 12.

They can apply for a re-mark or re-check if they do not feel their results reflect their performance, or write the exams in June.

More information on these options is available on the WCED website: https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/national-senior-certificate-nsc-exams

There are also measures in place to receive counselling for matrics who are disappointed with their results, either by approaching their school, which will put them in touch with the relevant officials in the district offices, or by phoning the Safe Schools Hotline on 0800 45 46 47.

Congratulations again to the #ClassOf2024! We are so proud of you, and can’t wait to see what you go on to achieve in the future.

Media Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to Minister David Maynier
Western Cape Ministry of Education
Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za