Fairbairn College was one of the schools in the Western Cape that achieved a 100% pass rate for 2024. File Picture: Independent Newspapers
In the Western Cape, 78 out of 464 high schools achieved a 100% National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate in 2024.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) recently published the pass rates for all schools where students took the NSC exams, highlighting the performance of each institution.
The Department of Basic Education celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2024, which recorded an overall matric pass rate of 87.3% — the highest in the country’s history.
In the Western Cape, learners excelled with an NSC pass rate of 86.6%, marking a 5.1 percentage point increase from the previous year. This figure represents the province’s highest NSC pass rate to date.
The Bachelor’s pass rate, a crucial indicator of the quality of matric passes, also saw an increase of 5.6 percentage points, reaching 47.8%. This is the highest Bachelor’s pass rate the province has achieved.
An analysis of the department’s data revealed that several schools, both newer and more established, managed to achieve a 100% matric pass rate, with some also attaining a 100% Bachelor’s pass.
Among the schools that excelled, Constantia Waldorf School achieved a 100% pass rate and a 100% Bachelor’s pass, repeating its success from 2022. In 2023, it also had a 100% pass rate but a 94.1% Bachelor’s pass. Lakeside Education Academy mirrored this achievement with a 100% pass rate but had a 66.7% Bachelor’s pass in 2023.
Other schools that achieved a 100% Bachelor’s pass rate include Michael Oak Waldorf School, Morester Akademie, Nouveau in Paarl, Robertson Logos Christian School, Shalom Akademie, and Vaalsbaai High School.
However, some Cape Town schools fell short of this milestone. Rustenberg Girls’ High School achieved a 99.4% Bachelor’s pass, SA College had a 94% pass, Sans Souci Girls’ High School recorded 93%, Star College — Bridgetown 90%, Star College — Cape Town 95.5%, and Westerford High School 97.1%.
Commenting on the bachelor’s passes, Equal Education’s Ayanda Sishi-Wigzell stated: “It is encouraging that the Class of 2024 outperformed previous matric cohorts in terms of both the traditional pass rate and the number of bachelor passes produced. This trend is evident across all provinces and may indicate that various interventions are starting to bring about positive improvements in education delivery.”
Sishi-Wigzell added: “This positive trend means that more learners are meeting the basic requirements to apply for undergraduate programmes at universities, affording them the opportunity to further their education.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Western Cape congratulated the matric Class of 2024 for their achievements, highlighting the resilience and hard work of learners, educators, and communities despite numerous challenges.
“The conditions in the Western Cape townships remain dire. Learners face long and dangerous journeys to schools, lack of basic infrastructure, food insecurity, crime, drug-dealing, gangsterism, and poor living conditions, all of which hinder their ability to focus on their education. Despite these challenges, many have still managed to succeed, but the system continues to fail them,” the EFF said.
The full report on how all the schools in the country performed, can be accessed on the Basic Education Department’s website: https://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=oToCgPoIako%3d&tabid=92&portalid=0&mid=4359
theolin.tembo@inl.co.za