The Umgungundlovu District topped the chart with a pass rate of 81.51%, while Zululand was last, with 64.83%.
The province has set the bar higher this year, aiming for a 10% increase in the pass rate from last year, to 83%.
A total of 796542 full-time and part-time pupils wrote the National Senior Certificate exams, while 12372 sat for the IEB exams.
According to Basic Education Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga, it was the first time in five years that no paper was leaked, while all irregularities experienced were resolved.
Scelo Bhengu, of the Educators’ Union of South Africa, said that no irregularities indicated that teachers had done good work in preparing pupils.
He said teachers at rural and poor schools had to put in extra effort.
“Although without the resources such as science labs and libraries, rural and poor township schools worked under poor conditions and still managed to contribute to quality exams. It is unfair that pupils at these schools wrote the same paper as the pupils in rich and resourceful schools.
“The overcrowding of their classrooms is not being addressed, and yet these schools are part of the statistics. While our teachers continue to strive against all odds, we encourage them to keep doing what they do, to provide quality education to the nation,” he said.
Bhengu said the department should take the issue of classroom overcrowding seriously.
He called for a teacher:pupil ratio of 1:30 to improve education and the quality of matric results
Daily News
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