Over 700 000 of 1.2 million who registered for Grade 1 reached matric

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A total of 740 566 learners, out of the 1.2 million learners that enrolled for Grade 1 in 2012, went through the Basic Education system until matric in 2023.

These number were revealed by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga during the matric results announcement ceremony at the MTN headquarters in Johannesburg on Thursday evening.

However, of those who reached matric, for reasons not stated by the minister, a total of 24 847 did not enroll for the NSC exams despite reaching matric.

“In October 2023, 715 719 candidates enrolled for the 2023 NSC exams,” says Motshekga.

During a celebratory occasion that also honoured some of the top-achieving learners, Motshekga lauded the matric class 2023 for their resilience and determination.

“This cohort was exposed to COVID-19, while they were in Grades 9 and 10 in 2020 and 2021, respectively; thus, placing them at the eye of the COVID-19 storm! Their ability to cope during those extremely difficult academic and psycho-emotional draining years, is the manifestation of their fortitude and burning desire to improve their future prospects,” she says, noting that they were the generation that had to “take shifts” in attending classing as a result of social distancing measures.

Only 10 young people in correctional facilities who wrote matric exams failed the exams with 137 passing, with 90 of them obtaining Bachelor passes, 34 obtaining Diploma passes, while 13 obtained Higher Certificate passes.

“Therefore, 93.2% of the full-time candidates in correctional facilities, who wrote the 2023 NSC exams, passed. 278 distinctions were attained by young people in correctional facilities,” says Motshega.