The Independent Examinations Board CEO Anne Oberholzer says the 98.07% pass rate is commendable considering the challenges that learners and teachers experienced in 2020. She also acknowledges the losses that the Class of 2020 has experienced.
The IEB 2020 NSC pass rate of 98.07% is slightly lower than last year’s pass rate of 98.82%.
The IEB is an independent assessment agency, separate from State and Provincial examination boards, operating within the constraints of national legislation and provisions of the national quality assurance body, Umalusi.
The IEB says the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations are considered as a rite of passage. Because its qualification marks the end of schooling and the beginning of adult life.
The 2020 matric classes experienced a different academic year which deviated from the norm. This includes the late release of the 2020 NSC results. However, the IEB says that matriculants should still celebrate this milestone.
The year was a different year for the matrics as participation in sports or cultural tours, cultural activities, prize-giving, the Matric Dance, tournaments, and numerous social events did not take place.
The annual Matric Rage for 2020 was marked with issues including being categorised as a “super spreader event” for COVID-19 resulting in other Rages being cancelled.
In the video below the Health Department identified The Rage 2020 matric events as super spreader events:
The IEB notes that Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga had to make decisions during this “very difficult year to protect the integrity of the qualification by not trimming the curriculum. In so doing, she protected these learners of 2020 from being tarnished with the suggestion that their achievement is somehow inferior to that of learners in other years. She and her personnel at the Department must also be acknowledged for saving the academic year so that learners who are ready to move into the next phase of their life, were not compromised and forced to place their futures on hold.”
The IEB further states that psychologists indicate that missing out on these rites of passage are detrimental for a healthy transition into adult society; from properly saying goodbye after 12 years of schooling to understanding and respecting the significance of this transition.
Issues affecting exams
The IEB states that some schools also saw a number of learners leaving to join distance and online education providers, and there was also an increase in the number of children being home-schooled.
As the examination period grew closer, a number of learners opted to only write a few subjects in the 2020 year, postponing the examinations in the other subjects to 2021.
The closing date for the application for remarking is 3 March 2021 and the results from remarking will be released on 26 March 2021.
The closing date for learners who qualify to enrol for the supplementary examination is 16 April 2021.
NSC publication of results:
SABC Education in partnership with the Department of Basic Education launched its Matric Results service on the 31st of December 2020 and will run until 28 February 2021.
in the Western Cape.
The SABC Education Matric Results service will release the results to all students across all provinces who have registered using the SMS or USSD on 23 February 2021.
Learners are encouraged to pre-register using the SABC Education Matric Results service.
The 2020 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results will be released at the different schools at 08:00 on Tuesday, 23 February 2021. These results will be made available to the media houses and Service Providers on Monday, 22 February 2021, at 07:00.
The publication of results will be embargoed until 06:00 on Tuesday, 23 February 2021 for all PEDs results, except in the Western Cape.
Below are guidelines of how learners can register to receive their 2020 Matric Results:
by SMS
• SMS your exam number to 45856
• The system verifies the exam number; your exam number must be correct in order to be accepted.
• Learners will be charged R1-50 per SMS, free SMS’s do not apply
by USSD
• Dial *120*45856# enter exam number to register
• You will be charged R1-50 per minute
• Results will be sent to your phone once they are available
by MATRICSMATE APP
• Download for free from Google Play and Apple App Stores
