Calls for Focus on Quality, Retention, and Learner Protection

Statement by Horatio Hendricks MPL – DA Shadow MEC for Education:

We want to congratulate the Class of 2025 on reaching the end of their school journey. Completing matric is a significant achievement, often under difficult circumstances, and it reflects the effort of learners, teachers, parents, and school communities across the province.

We also acknowledge the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, and her department for the overall stability of the examination system, the credibility of the results, and the honest framing of what the outcomes show about both progress and remaining weaknesses in the system. Recognising achievements while being open about where improvement is still needed is essential if reforms are to be meaningful and sustained.

The real story in the matric results is not a single percentage, but whether the system improved on quality indicators and whether learners are being retained through to Grade 12.

Last year, when the Eastern Cape recorded a historic pass rate, the Democratic Alliance congratulated the Class of 2024, but we also warned that too many learners are unaccounted for in the system. If learners are lost between Grade 10 and Grade 12, that is a serious system weakness that a headline pass rate cannot hide, and it requires proper tracking and retention interventions.

The DA has also consistently cautioned the province against an over-emphasis on the headline pass rate that chases quantity over quality. The Grade 10 to 12 dropout problem remains the biggest pressure point in the system, directly affecting fairness, opportunity, and long-term outcomes.

At the same time, learners must be better prepared for a digitally transformed jobs market, which means stronger foundations, improved performance in gateway subjects, and meaningful support throughout the Further Education and Training phase.

Education MEC Fundile Gade’s attempt to blame the drop in results on suspended principals and teachers facing allegations of financial misconduct and sexual offences, is laughable.

His own Department’s reluctance to act when these allegations were first brought to their attention is what resulted in suspensions over the exam period following public outcry. Allegations of this sort are extremely serious and must be acted on immediately.

Accountability cannot be delayed for convenience, and learner safety must always come first.

MEC Gade cannot use these suspensions as an explanation for performance pressures reflected in the results now being released.

A functional education system must be able to manage discipline without destabilising learners, and learners should never pay the price for adult misconduct or weak contingency planning.

Once again, we congratulate the Class of 2025 on reaching this milestone. To those who did not achieve the result they had hoped for, this is not the end of the road. There are second-chance pathways, support programmes, and opportunities to continue learning. Do not lose hope. Your future is still very much within reach