Despite the difficult set of circumstances for our learners, the matric pass rate for the Class of 2021 is UP from last year.

 The Education Minister herself says this was ‘the toughest year’ for learners, but the Class of 2021 didn’t let the circumstances disrupt them – and their matric pass rate is HIGHER than last year’s. According to Minister Motshekga the official matric pass rate now stands at 76.4% – up 0.2% from 2020

The Class of 2020 were the first school cohort to be impacted by the pandemic. The matric pass rate then fell to 76.2% last year, 5% down from the year before. This decline can be placed squarely at the feet of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the associated lockdowns and school closures that came with it.This year’s matriculants are the only ones who had to go through Grade 11 and Grade 12 with COVID restrictions in place. These crucial years were cruelly derailed, robbing many learners of the chance to excel. But the overall pass rate for 2021 can be considered a triumph.

This latest matric pass rate still shows us that there were thousands of resilient kids out there, who were determined to succeed no matter what. As we saw on Wednesday, the IEB pass rate increased slightly, and those privileged enough to continue their education with minimal disruption can now look forward to a brighter future.

The lowest pass rate in the previous decade was 70%, recorded in 2011. The class of 2019 became the first group to smash through the 80% barrier, before the virus put the brakes on five years of consistent improvements.