Matric results: Western Cape is top of the class
The Democratic Alliance (DA) congratulates the class of 2011 Grade 12 learners, their teachers, principals and parents in the successful completion of the National Senior Certificate (NSC).
The 70.2% that passed did so because of the cumulative effort they put in. Success always depends on preparation and sustained effort. A world of opportunity now lies before them.
When broken down by province, the results show that provincial government departments had differing degrees of success. Top of the class was the Western Cape, with an 82.9% pass rate - an increase of 6.1 percentage points on last year.
Seven years of ANC government in the Western Cape saw a drop in the provincial pass rate of 11.6 percentage points, from 87.3% in 2003 to 75.7% in 2009. In 2010 - the DA's first full year in government - we began to arrest the decline that had begun under the ANC, improving the pass rate to 76.8%.
This year's pass rate of 82.9% confirms this upward trajectory under the DA and it shows that getting the basics right in education can improve our children's education step by step. This means teachers who are present, punctual and prepared, school management that is competent and accountable and a provincial education department that is efficient and responsive.