Class of 2025 Raises the Bar as Every Education District Breaks the 80% Mark

A national milestone worth pausing for

The Class of 2025 didn’t just pass matric, they shifted the conversation around what’s possible in South African education.

For the first time, every education district in the country achieved a performance rate above 80% in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. It’s a milestone that education officials describe as unprecedented, especially given the size and complexity of this year’s cohort.

More than 920,000 candidates wrote matric in 2025, making it one of the largest examination processes the country has ever managed.

Progressed learners change the narrative

Speaking during a media briefing, Basic Education director-general Dr Hubert Mathanzima Mweli highlighted one of the most powerful stories behind the numbers: the performance of progressed learners.

These are pupils who were allowed to move through grades despite not meeting all promotion requirements in earlier years, a group often viewed through a lens of doubt.

“Who would have thought a progressed learner could achieve a distinction in Mathematics?” Mweli asked. “There is no dustbin for human beings. Progressed learners can perform better than expected.”

On social media, many teachers echoed this sentiment, sharing stories of pupils who flourished once given consistent support instead of being written off.

Support beyond the classroom matters

Mweli also drew attention to the role of social protection in learner success. He noted a reduction of over 13,000 learners who previously relied on social grants, reinforcing the importance of keeping vulnerable pupils supported until the end of Grade 12.

“As long as you are in school, you must receive the grant,” he said, stressing that learners need stability during their final year.

The Child Support Grant remains the country’s largest safety net, but officials emphasised that financial assistance alone is not enough, it must be paired with active academic support in classrooms.

Boys, bachelor passes and better outcomes

One encouraging trend from the 2025 results was a gradual improvement in the performance of boy learners, across both fee-paying and no-fee schools.

Bachelor’s passes also increased, alongside stronger results for diploma and higher certificate passes. According to the department, performance improvements across subjects ranged from 80% to as high as 100% in some areas compared to the previous year.

These gains came despite persistent challenges, including water shortages, electricity disruptions and infrastructure backlogs that continue to disrupt learning in many communities.

Mental health emerges as a priority

Behind the academic success, Mweli acknowledged a quieter struggle: learner anxiety and stress.

“We have seen learners who took ill due to anxiety and stress, which cuts across the grades,” he said, calling for expanded psychosocial support across the schooling system.

This concern resonated widely online, with parents and educators noting the intense pressure placed on matriculants in a high-stakes exam year.

IEB maintains strong performance

Alongside the public system, the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) also released its 2025 results, reporting an overall pass rate of 98.3%. While slightly down from 98.47% in 2024, the results remain among the strongest in the country.

Nearly 89.2% of IEB candidates achieved bachelor’s passes, opening the door to degree studies. More than 17,400 pupils sat for the IEB exams nationwide, with Gauteng recording the highest participation and the Northern Cape the lowest.

The IEB also recognised 161 learners who ranked in the top 5% nationally across six subjects, achieving distinctions in every subject they wrote, a rare level of consistency.

A moment of progress, not the finish line

As Minister Siviwe Gwarube noted during the official release, the Class of 2025 reflects both how far South Africa’s education system has come and how much work still lies ahead.

For now, though, the message is clear: when support systems work and expectations remain high, South African learners can and do, rise to the occasion.

{Source: IOL}

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