The Select Committee on Education and Recreation and the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education congratulate the grade 12 learners who passed their 2016 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

The Committees commended the 76.2% national pass rate, which is up from 74% in 2015. This year’s results include more then 162 000 matriculants who are eligible for admission to university for bachelor's degrees.

The pass rate incorporating progressed learners is 72.5%, which is an improvement on last year’s 70%. Progressed learners are learners who were promoted into matric after repeatedly failing grade 11.

The 72.5% pass rate achieved by the 2016 cohort points shows progressive improvement in the basic education system, the Committee Chairpersons said. It is evidence of the cooperation between the department, parents, teachers and learners, which is central to improving the quality of our children’s education.

“The Committee remains steadfast in its belief in active participation by parents in ensuring that their children get the quality of education enshrined in the Constitution,” said Ms Lungelwa Zwane, the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation.

Both Committees congratulated the Free State Provincial Education Department for its 93.2% pass rate, up from 81.6% last year.

“The Portfolio Committee wishes to congratulate MEC Tate Makgoe and his department for the leadership they are showing in achieving consistent high pass rates. The Committee hopes that his strategies, and those of other high performing provinces, can be replicated by struggling provinces,” said Ms Nomalungelo Gina, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education.

Despite concern that the high enrolment in 2016 for the NSC would result in a reduced pass rate, the Committees welcomed the year-on-year improvements in the NSC pass rate.

A total of 828 020 candidates registered for the 2016 NSC examination, of which 674 652 were full time learners.

“We are extremely proud of this performance in the public schooling sector with six provinces achieving above the 80% threshold.”

Both Committees highlighted the significant contribution by corporate South Africa in partnering with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to ensure access to quality education. The Committees urge more businesses and private sponsors to assist the department in rolling out quality education, especially through access to Information Technology.

Both Committees expressed concern about the 18 schools that continued to produce no matric passes and urged the Department of Basic Education to do everything in its power to assist these underperforming schools.

“This situation should not be allowed to continue. Urgent intervention with regular monitoring is required. Ultimately it is our learners that suffer. We need to turn this situation around for them,” Ms Gina emphasised.

Both Committees urged learners who were not successful to use the programmes made available by the DBE to try to complete their NSC.

“We urge parents and communities to support these learners and encourage them to try again,” Ms Gina emphasised.

The Committees remain committed to implementing effective oversight which has clearly contributed to the improved performance. In the coming year both Committees will focus their oversight on provinces that performed below average while supporting those provinces that performed well.