GAUTENG CLASS OF 2022 ACHIEVES 84.4% WITH MORE TOP PERFORMING TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS

GAUTENG CLASS OF 2022 ACHIEVES 84.4% WITH MORE TOP PERFORMING TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane congratulates the province’s tenacious Matric Class of 2022 who, despite many odds stacked against them, achieved an outstanding 84.4% pass rate in the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, as announced by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on 19 January 2023.

This achievement is a 1.7% improvement from the 2021 matric results of 82.8% and puts Gauteng as the second top performing province in South Africa.

Of considerable importance is that all 15 Gauteng Districts performed above 80%, with four districts being part of the Top 10 Performing Districts in the country, having achieved pass rates of more than 85% each.:

1. Johannesburg West 89.74% (+3.14%) [3rd Place nationally]
2. Tshwane South 89.96% (-0.34%) [4th Place nationally]
3. Gauteng North 87.71% (+7.51%) [5th Place nationally]
4. Johannesburg North 86.19% (+1.29%) [10th Place nationally]
5. Ekurhuleni South 85.69% (-0.61%)
6. Sedibeng East 85.24% (+3.84%)
7. Johannesburg East 84.21% (+0.81%)
8. Gauteng East 83.58% (+6.08%)
9. Tshwane North 83.46% (+0.26%)
10. Ekurhuleni North 82.93% (+0.73%)
11. Johannesburg South 82.80% (+4.5%)
12. Gauteng West 82.10% (+2.8%)
13. Johannesburg Central 82.03% (+1.23%)
14. Tshwane West 81.98% (-0.32%)
15. Sedibeng West 81.68% (+2.58%)

What is also worth noting is the positive trend of more schools in Gauteng achieving a 100% pass rate. In 2021 131 schools managed to ace the exams with a 100% pass rate; the figure has risen to 149 schools for the 2022 matric exams. Similarly, more schools achieved a pass rate of above 95% in 2022 than in the previous year. In 2022 a total of 290 schools achieved above 95%, compared to 265 in 2021.

In light of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s Township, Informal Settlements and Hostel (TISH) focus, we are pleased that more township public schools excelled in the 2022 NSC exams and we congratulate the principals of the 107 township public schools, including 9 Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) schools, that achieved a pass rate of above 90% for the sterling work done. Last year, only 61 township public schools achieved above 90% last year.

We want to give a special recognition to Imbali Combined School, an independent school in the township of Orange Farm, which achieved a 100% pass rate and a 97% Bachelor Pass rate.

The Class of 2022 in Gauteng achieved the highest number of Bachelor Passes in country, and the highest number achieved in the province since 1996. From the 113 006 candidates who passed their matric, 58 119 (43.4%) achieved a Bachelor Pass. Nationally, Gauteng contributed 20.8% of all Bachelor Passes achieved countrywide. We also obtained 43 300 distinctions, the second highest in the country.

We also want to acknowledge the following township schools that achieved a pass rate above 98% and a Bachelor rate above 75%.
• Raymond Mhlaba Secondary School with 83% Bachelor Passes
• Madibane Comprehensive School with 79% Bachelor Passes
• Letsibogo Secondary School with 78% Bachelor Passes
• Diepsloot Secondary No 2 with 75% Bachelor Passes

Gauteng has made significant strides in closing the gap between schools serving poor communities, specifically township schools, and those with a strong middle-class component, as shown by the narrowing gap in the performance by township and non-township schools. In 2009, township schools achieved an average pass rate of 60.1%, with non-township schools achieving 84.2%, making a gap of 24.1%. In 2023, the gap improved to 8.3% compared to 9.8% in 2021 and compared to 11.8% in 2020, but still below when compared to the 2.8% in 2019.

Township schools achieved slightly higher results than 2021, with township schools achieving a pass rate of 80.7% compared to 79.6%. In 2021 and non-township schools achieved 89% compared to 89.4% in 2021, a slight decline.

We are happy that our interventions in our township schools in bearing fruit. Our Grade 12 learners in township schools had an opportunity to benefit from teaching and learning through investments that we made in technology on the classroom. This was in addition to the supplementary learning programmes over weekends and school holidays. We shall continue to consolidate our input in this area to maximize the utilization of these resources for improved learning outcomes. This will contribute to narrowing the inequality gaps that that persist.

Our Schools of Specialisation (SOS), that provide skills-based curricula specific to the province’s economic corridors, also made superb strides with 8 of our schools achieving a pass rate of over 90% each:

1. Katlehong Engineering SOS 99.4%
2. UJ Academy Maths, Science & ICT SOS 97.8%
3. Pro Arte Alphen Park Performing & Creative Arts 97.5%
4. National Performing & Creative Arts SOS 97.4%
5. Soshanguve Engineering SOS 95.3%
6. Mohloli Maths, Science & ICT SOS 93.8%
7. Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports SOS 92.1%
8. St. Barnabas Maths, Science & ICT SOS 91%

As a province, we also have to attend to the matter of schools that consistently perform below par. The issue of underperforming schools must also be resolved as 53 public and independent schools achieved less than 65% compared to 69 public and independent schools in 2021. In the next few days, the Gauteng Department of Education will meet with the School Management Teams of all public schools that performed below 65% and begin a process to address this poor performance.

A special congratulations is extended to Kgothalang Secondary School in Gauteng West which, with tremendous effort, turned around their performance from 41.5% to 87.3%, a staggering improvement of just over 45.8%. The school also improved on the percentage of Bachelor Passes 21% to 44%

The Department will meet the public schools that performed below 65% to put into place interventions to improve the performance of these schools. This will include a review of management and teaching personnel. A rapid school evaluation will be undertaken, and an academic improvement plan designed and implemented.

We will support all matriculants that have failed by providing a multi-faceted Second Chance Programme in 2023 to assist supplementary exam and part-time candidates, amended Senior Certificate candidates and progressed learners who need to complete their National Senior Certificate. We will assist them in the subjects they have failed to ensure that they completed the requirements for passing. Those that require psycho-social support are also urged to engage their schools or the Department.

“As we celebrate the Class of 2022 with much pride and excitement, it is only fitting and a privilege to recognise that our successes is due to our collective commitment to Growing Gauteng Together as learners, teachers, school staff, parents and all basic education sector stakeholders. In this regard, I reiterate our commitment to pursue a quality and inclusive basic education system for all young people of our province,” said MEC Chiloane.