The Matric Class of 2023 achieved a pass rate of 82,9%, surpassing the 80,1% recorded the year before with an improvement of 2.8 percentage points.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshkega pointed out that the record-high pass rate, in both number and percentage, was the highest attained in the entire history of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.

Matching the national achievement were two of the Adopt-a-School Foundation’s adopted schools which further produced two learners who received awards at the Free State Matric Results ‘Well Done Function’. 

Adopted schools, Ngwathe Secondary School and Kgabereng Secondary School – both from Fezile Dabi District in the northern Free State – were funded by The Foundation’s donor, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). The schools were recognised for achieving in the 90% to 100% category, with Kgabareng Secondary School achieving 100% and Ngwathe, 97.3.

Both school principals were delighted with their schools’ success, saying they were grateful to the IDC and the Adopt-a-School Foundation’s Whole School Development (WSD) model.

But the success most celebrated was that of Tshwarelo Mrwebi, 18, and Mohau Matsa, 20 – both from Kgabareng Secondary School – whose results included six distinctions.

Tshawerelo said: “I’m very excited that I made it to the top 100 and that finally my hard work paid off. It was not an easy year, with loadshedding and attending weekend classes. In the end, I can’t wait to join the University of Stellenbosch to study Biological Sciences.”

Mohau said: “I am super delighted that I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming an electrical engineer. I am truly looking forward to being a student at University of Cape Town.”

This remarkable achievement was applauded by the AASF with its Chief Executive Officer Steven Lebere saying they were particularly proud of the quality of results produced by the Foundation’s schools.

“The Foundation is delighted that our adopted schools mirrored the national achievement. It is our goal to turn schools into environments conducive to teaching and learning through the implementation of a four-pillared WSD Model. The model focuses on school leadership, curriculum, infrastructure and social welfare.” 

It was evident, he said, that WSD was working, citing the Free State adopted schools that had performed so well in 2023.

Lebere paid tribute to the donors who support the implementation of WSD to the benefit of learners and broader school communities. 

“The Foundation relies purely on sponsors. We are grateful that our donors such as the IDC who continue to support education. We call on others to become a part of matric results success in the future by supporting Adopt-a-School,” he said. 

According to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), of the 715,719 learners enrolled in the NSC, 691,160 candidates sat for the exams and a total of 572,983 passed. 

Since 2002, Adopt-a-School Foundation and its partners have invested over R 1,2billion in over a million learners across 643 primary and high schools it supports nationally.