By Johnathan Paoli
The North West Province has continued its upward trajectory in National Senior Certificate (NSC) performance, achieving an overall pass rate of 88.49% for the Class of 2025, marking a 0.9 percentage point improvement from the previous year.
The results were officially released on Tuesday at Rutanang Primary School in Rustenburg, Bojanala District, during a ceremony attended by Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, Education MEC Viola Motsumi, senior government officials, educators, learners and parents.
Formally declaring the results released, MEC Motsumi confirmed that Umalusi had approved the NSC outcomes on 7 January as credible and fair, describing the results as further proof that the provincial education system is “destined to rise to greater heights”, likening its recovery to a phoenix rising from the ashes.
“While our goal remains to be among the top three provinces nationally, these results show that with the commitment of teachers, principals and school governing bodies, steady improvement is possible, even in a predominantly rural province like ours,” Motsumi said.
Motsumi traced the province’s performance over the past six years, noting a steady climb from 76.0% in 2020 to the current 88.49%, following improvements in 2021 (78.6%), 2022 (79.8%), 2023 (81.63%) and a significant jump to 87.52% in 2024.
The North West has retained its fourth position nationally.
She attributed the 2025 performance to sustained academic support, consistent learner tracking and targeted interventions, pointing out that the Class of 2025 maintained results above 80% in quarterly assessments throughout the year.
While celebrating the improved pass rate, the MEC emphasised the importance of quality outcomes.
Bachelor’s degree passes stood at 44.4%, slightly lower than 2024, while Diploma passes increased to 29.78% and Higher Certificate passes improved to 17.42%.
The province recorded 8 050 subject distinctions, excluding Life Orientation, an increase from 7 901 the previous year.
Male learners achieved a marginally higher overall pass rate than females, although female learners continued to dominate Bachelor-level admissions.
Performance disparities between school types also narrowed.
Learners from no-fee schools achieved an 87.01% pass rate, compared to 89.53% in fee-paying schools, a trend Motsumi said demonstrated growing parity and resilience in under-resourced communities.
All four districts recorded improvements.
Bojanala retained its position as the top-performing district with a 90.82% pass rate, followed by Dr Kenneth Kaunda (87.78%), Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati (85.61%) and Ngaka Modiri Molema (85.71%).
At local education office level, Madibeng, Moses Kotane and Rustenburg emerged as the strongest performers, while Lekwa Teemane recorded the most significant improvement, increasing its pass rate by 10 percentage points.
The province’s top learner, Temogo Matong from Setswakgosing Secondary School, a quintile 2 school in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District, achieved an outstanding 1 727 marks across his best six subjects.
Motsumi highlighted this achievement as evidence that excellence is possible even in under-resourced contexts.
A total of 45 schools achieved a 100% pass rate, up from 44 in 2024, with schools such as Potchefstroom Gimnasium, Rustenburg High School and Wesvalia High School featuring prominently.
Addressing underperformance, Motsumi acknowledged that the number of schools below the 70% threshold increased to 37, attributing this partly to stricter monitoring of learner retention.
She encouraged unsuccessful candidates to enrol in the Second Chance Matric Programme, with 4 708 learners eligible to rewrite in June 2026.
In an interview with Inside Education on Monday, Motsumi welcomed the improved results but admitted the province had aimed to break into the national top three.
She cited budget constraints as a key challenge, particularly the reduced ability to accommodate all learners in academic incubation camps.
To address this, she said the department would intensify engagements with the private sector, including mining companies and other businesses, to support future interventions.
Looking ahead to 2026, the MEC outlined plans to expand school nutrition programmes, particularly breakfast provision, and to refocus attention on early childhood development and the foundation phase.
“If we go back to basics and strengthen the foundation phase, we won’t need to rely so heavily on incubations later,” she said.
Mokgosi, delivering the keynote address, congratulated the Class of 2025 and described the results as a testament to deliberate policy interventions and collective effort.
He linked education outcomes to broader service delivery challenges, warning that water shortages, electricity cuts and community protests continue to disrupt teaching and learning.
Mokgosi emphasised that improving municipal performance and building safer communities were essential to sustaining educational gains.
He also highlighted government investment in education infrastructure, nutrition programmes and bursaries, noting that over 740 000 learners in the province benefit from the National School Nutrition Programme.
Concluding his address, Mokgosi called on communities to uphold the principle that “it takes a village to raise a child”, urging collective responsibility to protect and nurture the province’s learners as the foundation of its future.
INSIDE EDUCATION
