The matric results in five key graphs

The class of 2024 has set all kinds of records. But while the quality of their results is the highest it’s been, many matriculants are not adequately prepared for higher education.
2 mins read

The matric class of 2024 set a number of records this week: highest number of learners writing, highest number of bachelor passes, largest percentage of registered learners writing matric. They and their educators should be praised for raising the matric standard, and indeed the accolades are pouring in.

However, while the quality of the matric results is the highest it’s ever been, it is still not high enough to bridge the gap between basic and higher education for the vast majority of matriculants. Performance in core subjects like mathematics and physical science is adequate but not outstanding.

There are also longstanding structural problems that cannot be ignored. Apart from the lack of preparedness for higher education, poorer learners still suffer from the gulf in resources between their no-fees schools and those of former Model C / private schools. There are still far too many learners dropping out of school before matric and there is not enough focus on earlier grades. The proportion of learners making it into matric is still just 60% of the original grade 1 class.

The good news should be celebrated, though. A record 615,429 learners passed matric and 337,158 of these passed with a bachelor pass, allowing them to register for university.

Link to interactive graph

Until 2020, the number of matriculants ranged from 400,000 to 440,000. The 2024 class improved on this by almost 50%. The number of bachelor passes increased steadily from 2016’s figure of 162,374, reaching more than 210,000 in 2020 and reaching a record high of 337,158 in 2024.

The trend of more bachelor passes is consistent across all nine provinces, with significant improvements in Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Link to interactive graph

In 2016, less than 20% of matriculants who passed in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape achieved a bachelor pass. In 2024 the comparable figures were 44.3% and 45.8%. Every province except for the Northern Cape saw more than 43% of matriculants achieve a bachelor pass, while KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng had more than half of their matriculants achieve a bachelor pass.

Not all learners who enter matric end up writing their exams, but the proportion of those who do has also increased nicely, particularly over the past four years.

Link to interactive graph

In 2019 just 82% of learners registered for matric wrote their final papers; since 2020 the proportion has been over 95% and increasing from year to year. In 2024, more than 97% of registered learners wrote their exams.

Many pass but few excel

The bachelor pass is the highest-quality pass in South Africa, allowing entry into any institution of higher learning. Just how good is a bachelor pass, though, and is it good enough to ensure a smooth transition to higher education?

To achieve a bachelor pass, a learner should aim for at least 50% in their subjects, particularly in core subjects like mathematics, physical science and life science. This is higher than the 30% pass mark but it is not enough for many university programmes, some of which require distinctions (above 70%) for admission.

The vast majority of learners are passing their subjects with between 30% and 50%, which is not enough to succeed at the next level of education. In mathematics and physical science, more than half the learners achieved 40% or under. Less than 4% of learners achieved a mathematics distinction and less than 3% achieved a distinction in physical science.

In the 2024 matric class, 251,488 learners wrote mathematics. Only 120,430 learners scored more than 40% and only 9,752 of these learners achieved a distinction.

Link to interactive graph

A total 200,715 learners wrote physical science, with only 100,222 achieving more than 40%. There were just 5,680 distinctions for the class of 2024.

Link to interactive graph

The improvements in the matric results are welcome, but learner success is still being defined within a very narrow range. The basic education system is still focused on passing as many learners as possible, while excellence is a secondary consideration. Educators are still beholden to the perverse incentives arising from a fixation on matric results – more than half of the learners who drop out of the system do so in grades 10 and 11, when the system gives up on them. This has to change if we want to transform our economy and increase the number of skilled jobs.

This story is published courtesy of The South Africa Brief, a collaboration between SABI Strategy Group and Hlaziya Solutions that provides a comprehensive guide on what to expect and how to interpret daily and weekly developments in this new era in South African politics.

Sign up to Currency’s weekly newsletters to receive your own bulletin of weekday news and weekend treats. Register here.

Paul Berkowitz

Paul Berkowitz is a director at Hlaziya Solutions, a consultancy that specialises in data-led analysis and storytelling.

Latest from News

Don't Miss