Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the matric Class of 2024 for their exceptional achievements, highlighting their dedication and the significant strides made in South Africa’s basic education sector.
According to South African Government News Agency, 615,429 learners successfully passed the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in 2024, surpassing the pass rate of any other time in the country’s history. The national pass rate for the National Senior Certificate increased from 82.9% in 2023 to 87.3% last year.
Nearly half of the learners who wrote the NSC examinations received a Bachelor pass, while nearly 320,000 distinctions were achieved. President Ramaphosa said the achievements of the Class of 2024 are a proud contribution to and evidence of the nation’s progress during 30 Years of Freedom and Democracy.
“These results reinforce our resolute development of our nation’s most valuable resource – our young people. They also provide proof that we are undoing apartheid’s planned legacy of intergenerational indignity, disadvantage, and poverty for the majority of South Africans,” President Ramaphosa stated.
He emphasised the agency, resilience, and pride of the youth of the nation in creating a better future for themselves and for all citizens. He expressed appreciation for learners, teachers, parents, caregivers, school governing bodies, partners in the private sector, trade unions, and academia in both public and private education sectors.
President Ramaphosa stressed the importance of accessible education, affirming that “the doors of learning have swung wide open.” He encouraged government and civil society to collaborate in supporting learners, particularly the Class of 2024, ensuring they can seize opportunities for success.
He urged for the creation of space and inspiration for young people to become entrepreneurs, innovators, inventors, and other embodiments of creativity and self-reliance. The President expressed confidence that the achievements of the Class of 2024 would sharpen the resolve to address challenges in the education sector and economic performance, with hopes that the Class of 2024 will contribute solutions to these challenges.