Limpopo records a decline in matric results

LIMPOPO

Limpopo recorded the lowest matric pass rate among the country’s nine provinces. The province recorded a pass rate of 66.7%. This represented a decline of 1.5 percentages; the province had recorded in 2020. It was also the only province that did not achieve a pass rate above 70%.
Limpopo MEC for Education Polly Boshielo indicated the statistics however do not paint a clear picture of what is happening in the province.
“It is worth mentioning that the Class of 2021 achieved a total of 17 751 distinctions in different subjects, which is an increase of 1 707 to what was achieved by the Class of 2020.
“It’s a delight that Limpopo is one of the five provinces that contributed the highest number of distinctions in the country. In terms of gender breakdown, 11 444 distinctions were achieved by female candidates and 6 307 by males.”

He said 0% schools have been a constant feature of our NSC results in the past 4 to 5 years.

“It is important to indicate that we do not have a zero percent public school in 2021 as compared to 2020 where there were seven (7) such schools. This is a step in the right direction and the Department shall continue to provide targeted support so that no school ever gets a zero percent in their NSC results.”

Both Sekhukhune East and South achieved a matric pass rate of below 60 percent. Sekhukhune East achieved 58.6 while the latter achieved 59. 4 percent.

Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has called on Premier Stan Mathabatha to relieve Boshielo, of her duties – in line with his promise to hold MECs accountable for their performance.

DA’s Risham Maharaj said, “Limpopo also had the lowest bachelor pass percentage of all the provinces with only 26.7% of learners achieving that level. The bachelor pass rate dropped from 29, 1% in 2020 to 26, and 7% in 2021, while the pass rate amongst progressed learners regressed from 35.6% in 2020 to 32.9% in 2021.”

Of the ten worst performing districts in the country, six of them are in Limpopo. Moreover, about 137 schools failed to achieve a 40% pass rate.

The DA is further concerned by the large discrepancy in performance between learners in fee paying schools as opposed to no fee paying schools. 89.1% of fee paying learners passed, with 55,5% achieving bachelor passes (3rd best nationally), while only 64.7% of no fee paying learners passed and only 24% achieved bachelor passes (7th nationally).