The Western Cape matric class of 2023 recorded an 81.54% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations despite facing an exceptionally challenging year.
David Maynier, Western Cape MEC of Education, said 50 520 candidates who passed met the requirements to access higher education, with 26 182 candidates (42.2%) qualifying with a Bachelor’s degree pass to attend university, which was the province’s highest number of Bachelor’s passes ever.
Christel House, received a round of applause for the outstanding accomplishment of a 100% pass rate for their matric class of 2023.
Megan Losper, marketing and PR officer, said: “Our students have achieved a remarkable 100% matric pass rate again. We are one of nine schools in the district to achieve a 100% matric pass rate and the only one serving children from impoverished communities. We are again very pleased with our 82% Bachelor’s pass. The quality of this pass opens more doors and opportunities, leading to greater upward economic mobility. This number remains firmly ‘double’ the national and provincial averages over the last number of years. This year, the National Bachelor’s pass is 40.9% and provincially 42.2%. All of our subjects, except two, had a 100% pass rate and we are most proud of physics pass rate.”
South Peninsula (SP) High School, in Diep River, achieved a 99% pass rate with 146 pupils earning Bachelor’s degree passes and 98% having access to tertiary studies.
Ten students of the 2023 matric class achieved A-passes, 41 achieved B-passes and 56 achieved C-passes.
Zeid Baker, principal of the school, said: “The top student was Jayden May, who achieved an aggregate of 88% with 7 distinctions, including A’s in Pure Maths, Economics, Business Studies and Accounting. Jayden, who was accepted for Actuarial Sciences at UCT and Stellenbosch, will be studying at UCT in 2024. Jayden believes that the two years of Covid taught him to be more independent in his studies and to make the best use of available resources. His advice to the class of 2024 is to remain focused on their goals and to persevere.”
Mr Baker said Yonela Ginise, who also achieved seven distinctions and a second place with 85%, has been accepted at UCT, Stellenbosch and Wits for Engineering and Medicine. Abdul Kader Jainoodien, who achieved an 84% aggregate and six distinctions including a distinction in Alpha maths, has been accepted for IT at UCT.
Mr Baker believes that the quality of passes were lower than last year, and attributes this to SP’s insistence that students do pure mathematics and physical sciences.
“60% of the matric class were registered for pure mathematics of which 102 students passed. Despite the 2023 matric class having to endure two years of disrupted learning – this cohort missed five months of schooling and a year of load shedding and transport disruptions – teachers and students rolled up their sleeves to catch up and deliver commendable results,” said Mr Baker.
Dawood Tregonning, principal at Grassdale High School, said their class of 2023 obtained an 88.2% matric pass rate.
He praised pupils, parents and staff for a team effort.
“To our matric class of 2023, congratulations on your NSC results. You’ve made us proud. To those that didn’t make it, don’t give up. You have met a stumbling block and not a stop block. Rise up and soldier on. Success will come your way. A big shout out to our parents, staff and our amazing learners. Thank you for allowing Grassdale to always be amongst the best. You guys were fabulous. Strengths to all with their future endeavours. Grassdale liefde (love).
Lotus High School has had a big turnaround and they achieved a 65% pass rate, registering the “biggest improvement – 27% – in District South”.
Since Stephen Price took over as principal last year, the matrics “had come back from the brink”.
“Like the World Cup winning Springboks, we never gave up, the Class of 2023 had pulled off a comeback that would go down in the history of the school as one of our magnificent achievements.” said Mr Price.
Mr Price, looked back, and said: “Inheriting the school with the matric results in a desperate downward spiral was the challenge I was faced with. From a high 75.9% pass rate in 2021, we hit a low of 38.2% in 2022. By June 2023, it was 32% and the confidence of our staff and learners was at an all time low. The ‘worst performing school in the province’ tag was taking its toll on everyone.”
According to William Prinsloo, principal of Zeekoevlei High School, their matric pass rate was 72.3%.
