By Lebone Rodah Mosima
The Department of Correctional Services announced on Monday that its correctional services schools achieved an overall 94.4% pass rate in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, surpassing the national 88% pass rate recorded by the Department of Basic Education.
The announcement was made at an awards ceremony at the Goodwood Correctional Facility in Cape Town.
Minister Pieter Groenewald said the results highlighted the transformative power of education, even within correctional environments.
“We gather not merely to announce results, but to celebrate resilience, discipline and educational excellence,” Groenewald said.
According to the department, 180 learners from 18 correctional services schools sat for the NSC examinations in 2025. Fifteen schools achieved a 100% pass rate, up from 13 schools in 2024, while learners collectively earned 132 distinctions.
Two schools — Usethubeni Correctional School in Durban-Westville and Baviaanspoort Correctional Centre School in Gauteng — have now maintained a 100% pass rate for ten consecutive years. The Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre School also recorded a full pass rate.
Nkosinathi Jabulani Gumede from Usethubeni Correctional School became the first learner in the programme to achieve a national average of 85.5%, with his highest marks 95% in Business Studies and 94% in Life Orientation.
Tyrique Jooste, a parolee, was the second learner from the Baviaanspoort Youth School to achieve a national average of 84.4%, with his highest marks 90% in Afrikaans First Additional Language and 89% in Life Orientation.
KwaZulu-Natal was recognised for producing the highest number of matriculants, with 50 learners, of whom 45 achieved Bachelor passes. Usethubeni Correctional School alone accounted for 31 candidates, all of whom obtained Bachelor-level passes.
“None of this would be possible without the unwavering commitment of our educators, who continue to teach under uniquely challenging conditions with dedication and professionalism,” Groenewald said.
“We commend Heads of Correctional Centres and all officials whose daily support ensures that learners remain focused in an environment where distractions may emerge,” he said.
Groenewald stressed the importance of maintaining “a water-tight, credible, and ethical examination environment,” noting that correctional services schools have conducted NSC examinations without irregularities for many years.
“Our results are not a favour, but they are earned, and they are credible,” he said.
The minister raised concerns about the declining uptake of Mathematics in correctional schools, with more learners opting for Mathematical Literacy. He said Mathematics had not been a major challenge in previous years, and added that with proper support and the recruitment of capable teachers, learners would be able to succeed.
“South Africa is deliberately channelling learners towards gateway subjects because this is what our economy demands and the path a developing country like ours must pursue,” he said.
Groenewald also called for urgent intervention to address gender disparities in the education system, noting that girls outnumbered boys in the 2025 NSC cohort by 56% to 44%.
“Our inmate population is largely male, and many require educational redirection and support. As we often say, corrections is a societal responsibility, just as education is a societal responsibility,” he said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
