While the release of the 2021 matric results last week was a celebration for many, with the department of basic education saying the pass rate had increased from last year.
However, DA shadow MEC for education Yusuf Cassim said the figures were not as good as they might first appear.
“The Eastern Cape’s real matric pass rate is just 47.4%, as the final result of 73% does not take into account the high dropout rate between grade 10 and 12,” Cassim said in a statement last week.
“Of the 140,936 learners who started their senior years together in grade 10, only 47.4% have secured a matric pass. There were 49,436 learners who dropped out. That’s a droprate of 35.1%.”
Cassim said the class of 2021 should be commended for their hard work and perseverance during the Covid-19, but also urged people not to forget about all the students who didn’t make it this far.
“Less than a third of learners enrolled in grade 1 in 2009 passed their matric exams.
“Only 66,770 learners of the 210,507 learners who started this journey made it to write matric exams.
“This leaves 119,007 learners who should have been part of the 2021 class that simply disappeard from our system.”
