JOBURG – Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy was proud to announce that Gauteng had a 87 per cent pass rate for 2013 at Sci-bono Discovery Centre on Tuesday January 7.
Gauteng matriculants have achieved their best results since the birth of democracy, the opening of education to all, and the creation of the province twenty years ago.
Praise Ndebele from Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School in Ivory Park was the best learner in Gauteng, followed by Wini-Louise Myburgh and Elizabeth Bekker.
Besides the pass rate of 87% for 2013 – up from 83,9% a year ago – the detailed results underline the increasing quality and consistency of the teaching and learning in schools in the province. The 2013 results show that:
· Gauteng achieved 17.42% more bachelor passes than a year ago, which means that 38 104 learners have earned the right to apply for further education, up by 5 655 on a year ago
· At the same time, the province has produced an increase in diploma passes of 10,8%
· All in all, 85 122 Gauteng learners passed matric in 2013, up by 9 888 learners or 13,1% when compared with 2012
“These figures indicate that we have not only managed to keep pace as the number of learners have grown with the expanding number of residents in Gauteng,” said Education MEC Barbara Creecy, “but that we have in fact set the pace when it comes to empowering children from the African majority by continually improving their access to the quality education which can open doors to jobs and further qualifications.”
This is borne out by the figures for education districts covering Gauteng’s inner cities, townships and informal settlements. Since the last election in 2009, pass rates have risen in:
· Johannesburg Central (covering Soweto and Eldorado Park) from 65.4% to 84.7%
· Sedibeng West from 56.9% to 82.9%
· Sedibeng East, the best performing district in the country, up from 78,4% to 90,%
· Gauteng East (covering many of the big Ekurhuleni townships, including Etwatwa, Daveyton, Tsakane, and KwaThema) from 65.8% to 87.5%
· Johannesburg South (covering Lenasia, Orange Farm, Finetown and Ennerdale) from 69.1% to 84.6%
· Tshwane West covering Winterveld, Mabopane and Garankuwe from 77.4% to 86.4%
“Particularly pleasing is the fact that all 15 education districts in Gauteng achieved a matric pass rate above 82% for the first time,” said MEC Creecy. “Significantly, we have made important strides in closing the gap between schools serving poor communities and those with a strong middle class component, as shown by the narrowing gap in the performance by fee paying and no fee schools.”
Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane congratulated the class of 2013. She also mentioned that the government will assist the learners to further their studies.
“This year we will award a record number of 4 000 bursaries to Grade 12 learners from no-fee schools. We encourage our learners to take up these opportunities, as well as the large number of bursary opportunities that the private sector is making available,” she said.
Facts and figures:
• 97 897 learners wrote the 2013 Matric examinations in Gauteng
• 85 122 learners who wrote the matric exam, passed
• Gauteng’s provincial pass rate increased from 83,7 %in 2012 to 87 % in 2013
• 38 104 learners passed with Bachelors
• 33 716 learners passed with Diplomas
• Gauteng learners achieved 35 903 distinctions
• Gauteng has also seen an increase in gate-way subjects (e.g. Maths, English, Life Sciences, Business Studies, Accounting, etc.)
Mathematics increased from 71% pass-rate in 2012 to 74 % in 2013.
Physical Sciences increased from 70% in 2012 to 76% in 2013.
Economics increased from 76% in 2012 to 82% in 2013.
Accounting increased from 69% in 2012 to 70% in 2013.
Business studies increased from 85% in 2012 to 89% in 2013.
• A number of learners also achieved full marks in many of the gate-way subjects: Learners achieving full marks in:
Accounting: 19 learners (six females)
Mathematics: 14 learners of which 13 are African
Physical Science: Six learners (African)
Business Studies: One learner – African (female)
Life sciences: One learner (African)
Geography: One learner (African)
• Gauteng has significantly reduced the gap between fee-paying and non-fee paying schools:
The average pass-rate of no-fee paying schools was 60,1 % in 2009 compared to 84,2% at
fee paying schools.
In 2013 the average performance of no-fee paying school stands at 81,4%, compared to 90,7% at
fee-paying schools.
• Gauteng has reduced the number of schools performing below 60% significantly, that is, from 234 in 2009 to 43 schools in 2013.
