But key subjects face decline
The Eastern Cape class of 2025 has achieved an 84.2% matric pass rate despite facing major challenges, including floods, taxi strikes and financial pressure in schools.
Education MEC Fundile Gade announced the results on Tuesday and praised pupils, teachers and parents for their resilience.
“This occasion is not only a moment to recognise the accomplishments of our learners and the collective efforts and unwavering commitment of all stakeholders in the basic education sector, but it is also an opportunity for us as a province to reflect on the health of our basic education system at the start of 2026,” he said.
In June 2025, floods damaged 413 schools and disrupted learning for 48,341 pupils, with OR Tambo district being the worst affected. Taxi strikes and financial constraints also made it harder to run support programmes.
Three lives were lost during the exam period, including a respected mathematics teacher and two pupils.
A total of 121,424 candidates wrote the 2025 NSC exams.
- 107,717 candidates registered full-time
- 13,707 candidates registered part-time in 135 examination centres.
Gade said the 2025 cohort of full-time candidates who wrote was the biggest improvement from the 91,500 pupils who wrote in 2021.
The province also produced national top performers. Four pupils were honoured at the national award ceremony:
- Maria Caitlin Freercks from Collegiate Girls High School in the Nelson Mandela district got second place for a quintile 5 school.
- Emma Caroline Booysens from Clarendon Girls High School in the Buffalo City district achieved third place in physical science.
- Ngazibini Unathi Ntungwa from Sikhoba Nombewu Senior Secondary in the Chris Hani east district came third in technical science.
- Masingili Sesona from Soqhayisa Senior Secondary School in the Nelson Mandela Metro district came third in accounting for quintiles 1, 2 and 3 schools
Gade praised “these gallant Eastern Cape ambassadors” for flying the provincial flag high on the national stage.
While the overall pass rate dropped slightly, the department stressed that the long-term trend remained positive. Bachelor’s passes fell from 45.78% in 2024 to 41.54% in 2025, meaning 44,267 pupils achieved bachelor passes last year.
The number of distinctions continued to increase. The province recorded 33,281 distinctions in 2025, up from 24,174 in 2021.
“This is evident in the quality of passes in each subject written in 2025,” said Gade.
Not all subjects performed equally, but results in business studies, geography, and history showed improvement. There was a notable decline in mathematics, agricultural sciences and accounting.
Mathematics fell from 62.2% to 56.8%. The department admitted disappointment in key gateway subjects.
“We have already pulled together and added additional strategies in our LAIS Plan to focus on improving this cohort of subjects,” said Gade.
For the first time, all 12 education districts in the Eastern Cape achieved pass rates above 80%. Joe Gqabi topped the province with 88.4%, followed closely by Chris Hani East at 88.1% and Nelson Mandela Metro at 87.4%. Sarah Baartman district was the most improved, jumping from 78.6% in 2024 to 86.4% in 2025.
“No district shall be left behind,” said Gade.
By Gugulethu Mashinini
TimesLIVE
