South Africa’s Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, recently announced the country’s highest-ever matric pass rate of 87.3% for 2024, a 4.4% improvement over the previous year. While this achievement was celebrated across the country, a growing concern emerged from civil society and political leaders who urged political parties to resist the temptation to politicise the results and instead focus on actionable solutions to the country’s educational challenges.
Srinivasen Naidoo, chairperson of the civil organisation Real Democracy, was quick to call on political parties to shift the focus away from point-scoring. “This moment belongs to the students, their hard work and dedication,” Naidoo said. “We should use this time to celebrate their achievements and provide solutions that will genuinely address the challenges faced by the education system.”
Naidoo also reiterated the call for free, quality education for all, citing how financial barriers prevent many students from accessing tertiary education. “Our mission is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive in higher education, regardless of their financial situation,” he explained. Naidoo urged political leaders to offer practical solutions instead of engaging in divisive rhetoric.
Political leaders, too, weighed in, urging for a more constructive dialogue around the results. Themba Godi, a former chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, called on political figures to set aside partisan interests and focus on the well-being of students. “The country’s future is in the hands of these young people,” Godi said. “We must put aside political games and work together for the betterment of the nation.”
Godi’s sentiments were echoed by Vuyo Zungula, leader of the ATM, who highlighted the persistent shortcomings in the education system. He expressed his frustration that many students, after 12 years of schooling, still graduate without essential life skills. “Our education system needs to do more to equip students with practical skills like entrepreneurship and critical thinking, which will help them support themselves and contribute to job creation,” Zungula said.
Zungula called for political unity around the need to overhaul the education system to address these gaps. “It’s time to put aside the politics and focus on building a robust education system that ensures quality, access, and meaningful outcomes,” he added.
Fhatuwani Makahane, a researcher and student counsellor at the University of South Africa, also urged political parties to come together in finding long-term solutions. “We are raising the future leaders of this country. We need to make sure we resolve the educational challenges that are holding them back from reaching their full potential,” Makahane said. He stressed the importance of offering effective leadership to improve the education system in a way that benefits all students.
On the day of the announcement, the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) also reported impressive results for the 2024 National Senior Certificate, with a pass rate of 98.47%. Of those, 89.37% of candidates qualified for degree studies, a significant achievement for the education sector. The IEB saw 14,990 full-time candidates and 1,314 part-time candidates sit for the exams, with the number of candidates slightly increasing from the previous year.
Among the provinces, KwaZulu-Natal stood out, contributing nearly half of the country’s bachelor passes. The province saw 84,000 bachelor passes, which accounted for almost 48% of all candidates nationwide qualifying for higher education. Gauteng followed with 66,000 bachelor passes, while the Eastern Cape achieved 45,000, showing a positive trend in educational performance across the country.
However, despite the overwhelming success of the 2024 matric results, there has been a shadow cast over the announcement, with the Department of Basic Education confirming that a potential breach of results has been identified. The matter is now under investigation by State Security and the Hawks, which has added an air of caution around the celebrations.
As South Africa looks to celebrate its record-breaking matric results, political leaders and civil society groups continue to call for a united effort to address the underlying issues in the education system. Rather than politicising the achievements, they emphasised the need to use this moment to reflect on how to create an education system that serves all learners equitably and prepares them for the challenges of the future.
