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The Class of 2017 is the tenth cohort of learners to sit for the National
Senior Certificate, and the fourth cohort to write CAPS-aligned NSC
Examinations. The Class of 2017 has recorded the third highest
enrolment of Grade 12 learners in the history of the basic education
system in South Africa.
This means that 77.2% of the learners with special education needs,
who wrote the 2017 NSC examinations, passed. Gauteng and
KwaZulu-Natal should be congratulated for their combined
contribution of Bachelor passes of 80.2% – an increase of 3.5% from
2016; and the combined contribution of Diploma passes of 70.1% –
an increase of 4.1% from 2016.
The 2017 NSC examination results are also telling us that, for every
fee paying school, which achieved at 60% to 79.9% pass rate, there
are more than five “no fee” schools achieving at the same level.
Similarly, for every fee paying school, achieving at the 80% to 100%
pass rate, there are almost two “no fee” schools achieving at the
same pass rate. An exactly 100% pass rate, was achieved equally
by fee paying as well as “no fee” schools. This is indeed a good story
to tell!!!
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The Schools that Work study, affirmed that there are schools that are
doing exceptional work, and these schools include “no fee” schools.
An example that has been identified, is a quintile 1 school in Limpopo,
which serves the poorest of the poor in that province. This school
continues to achieve within the top 1.5% of all public schools, and
performs better than 87% of the best resourced schools in the
country. There are similar schools that were identified in other
provinces, which are universally serviced by teachers who go to
extraordinary measures to help their learners to achieve, despite their
circumstances. These schools, principals, teachers, parents and
learners are definitely our national assets, and their selfless efforts
must be celebrated.
We must applaud the four provinces that retained their 80% plus
pass status.
We can see that the 2017 NSC examination results with progressed
learners, dispel the myth that progressed learners adversely affect
the overall results. Certainly, this was not the case, particularly in the
Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, and Limpopo. In fact, in
KwaZulu Natal, the results with progressed learners included, are
better than those without the progressed learners.
This brings us to the 2016 NSC examination overall results. For the
past seven years, we have noted that the NSC pass rate has
consistently been above the 70% threshold. The Class of 2017 must
be commended for maintaining this trend. The 2017 NSC overall
pass rate, with the progressed learners excluded, stands at
76.5%, a 0.3% improvement from the 76.2% achieved in 2016.
However, with the progressed learners included, the overall pass
rate, stands at 75.1%, a 2.6% improvement from the 72.5% achieved
in 2016. This, represents a total of 401 435 candidates, who had
passed the 2017 NSC examinations. Well done to the Class of
2017!!!
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Conclusion
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Fellow South Africans, we will be the first to concede that despite the
notable stability of and improvements in our system, we are yet to
cross our own Rubicon. We must agree that much has been
achieved, but much more needs to be done in the areas of efficiency
and quality. We call upon all South Africans to work together with
us to move the public schooling to greater heights.
Once again, I take off my hat to the Class of 2017, and I wish them
the best in their future. I believe that you will continue to shine
wherever you are. Speaking of success, Madiba said: “I learned that
courage was not the absence of fear; but the triumph over it. The
brave man (sic) is not he, who does not feel afraid, but he who
conquers that fear.”
I thank you.