Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer has congratulated the Class of 2018 for achieving a 81.5% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination.
Ms Schäfer says it is an exciting day for matriculants.
“I would like to congratulate the 81.5% of learners in the Western Cape who passed the 2018 NSC examination. 41 350 learners are celebrating their success today,” says Ms Schäfer.
Yesterday Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that the Class of 2018 achieved a 78.2% pass rate compared to 75.1% in 2017.
Gauteng came out tops 87.9% pass rate followed by Free State with 87.5% and the Western Cape is at number three with 81.5%, North West with 81.1%, Mpumalanga with 79%, KwaZulu-Natal with 76.2%, Northern Cape with 73.3%, Eastern Cape with 70.6% and Limpopo achieved a 69.4% pass rate.
Ms Schäfer says the matric results are the second key measure of the state of education in the Western Cape.
“The Western Cape Government has always maintained that indicators of quality go well beyond the overall pass rate. We focus on the quality of the passes and the retention of as many learners as possible in the school system so that we can ensure the best possible opportunities for our young people in the Western Cape. I am therefore pleased that yet again, our indicators of quality show a sustained improvement in the Western Cape.”