2010 matric pass rate 67.8%

2011-01-06 07:26

Pretoria - Some 67.8% of matrics passed the 2010 exams, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced in Pretoria on Thursday.

She described the pass rate as a "remarkable achievement" and said it was possible that the 2010 public sector strike might have robbed the department of its targeted 70% pass rate.

Chief Director of Exams Nkosinathi Sishi said 364 513 pupils passed their exams.

There were 643 546 candidates who sat for the exams, of whom 537 543 wrote all seven subjects. Of those, 23.5% obtained university entrance, up from 19.9%.

There were 18 schools where no pupils passed and 504 schools that achieved a 100% pass rate.

Gauteng the top province

In 2009, 60.7% of matrics passed the 2009 exams, which was just under two percent down from 2008, when 62.5% of matrics passed.

Sishi said nine subjects had been adjusted upwards and 10 had been adjusted downwards.

Exam papers were marked at 127 marking centres and the results were made available to Umalusi, the Council of Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, on December 24.

Gauteng was the top province with a 78.6% pass rate, followed by the Western Cape which achieved 76.8%, Motshekga said.

This was followed by the Northern Cape with 72.3 percent - the biggest improvement by a province. In 2009 the Northern Cape had a 61.3% pass rate.

KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State each had a pass rate of 70.7%.

The Eastern Cape had a 58.3% pass rate followed by Limpopo and Mpumulanga who had 57.9% and 56.8% respectively.

Motshekga said that there was still much work to be done to further improve the results.

- SAPA