DESPITE the odds stacked against them, the class of 2021 has proved to be resilient.
Of the over 800 000 Matrics who sat for the NCS exams, 537 687 made it, resulting in a 76,4 pass rate.
The class which is the largest in history has recorded 256 031 bachelor's and 211 725 distinctions, the highest ever.
The National Senior Certificate overall pass rate for 2021 is 76.4%, an improvement of 0.2% from 2020.
This was announced on Thursday evening, 20 January by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
Free State is the leading province with 85.7 %, followed by Gauteng with 82.8% and Western Cape sitting in third place at 81.2 %.
Motshekga said the total number of candidates who registered for the 2021 NSC exams was 897 163 candidates, an increase of 23.6% from 2020, comprising 733 198 full-time candidates, an increase of 20.2% from 2020; as well as 163 965 part-time candidates with an increase of 41.5% from 2020.
Motshekga said it is without a doubt that the 2021 academic year, will be remembered as the year that, not only presented major health challenges but as the second year in which the entire world was held to ransom by the novel Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister described the class of 2021 as a class of its own. She said what saved the situation was the support they received from the professionals, experts, concerned individuals, businesses and other organisations.
"Everyone panicked and rallied around the matrics to offer all the support available that to see them through," said Minister.
“As at this stage, the Class of 2021, was the most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as they had to endure two consecutive years of harsh exposure to the unrelenting pandemic.”
She said the government, with its Basic Education Departments and its strategic partners, worked tirelessly to strike a balance between saving lives and saving the 2021 academic year.
“The fact that we managed to enrol the highest number of full-time candidates for the 2021 NSC exams, is a clear sign that our communities have faith in the Basic Education system, and the NSC exams we are coordinating,” said Motshekga.
“We are of the strong view that, had it not been for the Covid-19 pandemic, the two Classes of 2020 and 2021 could have been the best performers, since the inception of the NSC exams,” she said.
“We are indeed proud of our learners who persevered against such monumental challenges that our system was never exposed to in the past. These two classes have characterised the resilience of the system, which withstood an unprecedented test of administering an examination of the largest number of candidates; faced by the worst pandemic in human history.”
Motshekga said those who did not do well in the NSC exams, do not despair.
“There are lots of life chances available. Those who wish to improve their results should enroll for the Second Chance Matric Programme.”
Education Activist Hendrick Makaneta congratulated the Class of 2021 for achieving this milestone in the terrain of basic education.
"Contrary to predictions by analysts, the matric class of 2021 has performed far much better than the class of 2020. Given the difficult challenges of Covid-19 which disrupted learning and teaching for the past two years, there is no doubt that the learners put more effort in their studies, hence the improvement."
"We also thank the teachers and parents for taking the time to support the learners every step of the way."
