The resilience of the Mpumalanga matric class of 2022 has been lauded. The COVID-19 pandemic, sporadic service delivery protests and rolling blackouts were among the challenges that impacted schooling in most communities in the province.
The province achieved a 76.8% pass rate, an improvement of 2.9%. Education authorities announced and awarded top performers at the University of Mpumalanga in Mbombela on Friday.
These learners defied the odds and are among the top performers in the province. 51 000 of the 68 000 learners, who sat for their final exams in Mpumalanga, passed.
“They should mind their background, they should focus where they are going, whatever they are passionate in, they should try to work hard in order to achieve and get the best results possible,” says Bathobile Nkambule, top performer.
“I was affected by both issues. There was a time I think in around February when a lot of people contracted covid, I also contracted covid and I was absent from school for a while and load shedding played a role because it was around the time I usually study, so there was a problem,” says top performer, Naledi Ramashu.
The Mpumalanga Education Department was targeting an 80% pass rate. Provincial Education authorities blame the rolling blackouts for failing to meet their target.
“Load shedding also contributes because it made the learners not to study the time when wanted to study, it was worse in the day when they were writing, will appreciate if that load shedding can be attended to,” says Mpumalanga Education, MEC Bonakele Majuba.
With the award ceremony out of the way, it is back to the drawing board for the learners who didn’t make it in 2022.
Government has promised to provide programmes aimed at helping learners who failed last year. The provincial Education Department believes the 80% pass rate target is within its reach.
VIDEO: Matric Results 2022 | Minister Angie Motshekga thanks and praises Class of 2022 top achievers
