The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it will ensure that all the young people who passed their matric get a place at institutions of higher learning.
EFF’s Secretary-General Marshall Dlamini was speaking to the SABC on the sidelines of the party’s meeting to prepare their programme of action for the year ahead.
Dlamini says the EFF’s Student Command structures at the various institutions will apply pressure on the powers that be.
All those students who have passed matric they must make sure that they found spaces in institutions of higher learning and they must make sure that that minister and everyone else who is involved in the Ministry of Higher Education there are spaces because this thing that always we are told that there are only enough spaces to accommodate these young people where must they go. They must create those spaces and the EFF Student Command are going to be at the forefront of those NSAFS offices, the offices of the Minister of Education and Provincial MECs of Education are going to be the permanent offices of the EFF Student Command until action is taken.”
On Thursday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that the Free State had achieved the highest matric pass rate at 85,7%, an improvement of 0.6% from 2020.
The Minister presented the national matric results at the SABC’s Auckland Park offices in Johannesburg.
Gauteng came in second place with a pass rate of 82,8%, a one percentage point decline from last year.
Gauteng was followed by the Western Cape with 81.2%, an increase of one point three percent.
Motshekga said only one province failed to breach the 70% pass rate.
Overall pass rate
Minister Motshekga announced that the 2021 National Senior Certificate overall pass rate, with the progressed learners included, stands at 76.4%. She said this is an improvement of 0.2% from the pass rate achieved by the Class of 2020.
She said the improvement comes despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department earlier said the matric Class of 2021 was the largest ever.
She also congratulated principals, teachers, parents and support staff.
“In celebrating the great achievements of the Class of 2021, we must thank the principals, teachers, support staff, and parents for the work they continue to do. Schools are at the coldface of Basic Education delivery.”
