PRESIDENT COMMENDS MATRIC CLASS OF 2018 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the Matric Class of 2018 for keeping the National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate above 70 percent and said this achievement underscores the importance of learners, educators, families, administrators and political leadership working together. 

“As South Africans, we can all take pride in the dedication shown by learners and educators. Together, they have presented our nation with another cohort of young people whose life chances have been significantly enhanced, and whose success in basic education is indeed reversing the damage inflicted on generations of South Africans who were deprived of quality education under apartheid," said President Ramaphosa. 

The Class of 2018 was the fourth large cohort in the history of basic education to register for any NSC examination. 

President Ramaphosa said this illustrated the impact of government’s support to poor learners and their families. 

This support spans pro-poor funding of schools; the provision of nutritious meals on a daily basis; and the provision of scholar transport to deserving learners on daily basis. 

These interventions have led to increased levels of retention of learners and enabled their success in the National Senior Certificate examinations. 

The President has urged matriculants to show responsibility in exploring opportunities in higher education, vocational training or workplace experience, and to adopt the understanding that learning is and should be a lifelong endeavour. 

President Ramaphosa has also encouraged learners who did not pass to make use of Second Chance programmes and to believe in their ability to overcome this challenge as one of many that will bring out the best in them during the course of their lives. 

Statement issued by Khusela Diko, Spokesperson, Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, 3 January 2019