Acknowledging the remarkable trajectory of matric results in the Eastern Cape is crucial.
This is a journey that was initiated by late MEC Mandla Makupula, a gentle giant who laid a solid foundation that continues to ascend under the capable leadership of MEC Fundile Gade and political guidance and leadership provided by premier Oscar Mabuyane.
The province is undeniably making strides, exemplified by the commendable achievement of an 81.4% pass rate of the class of 2023, marking a 4.1 percentage point increase from the previous year.
This isn’t just an improvement; observed closer, within the middle performers, the Eastern Cape stands within a 0.1% difference with the other two provinces, indicating a potential for an even better position next year.
As reported by Gade in his statement on the release of the 2023 results, our heartfelt congratulations extend to the dedicated teachers who went the extra mile, sacrificing their family time for the sake of an African child.
Albert Einstein said: “It is the supreme art of the teacher that awakens joy in creative expression and knowledge.” And this is so true.
The commitment and resilience of the pupils contributed significantly to the success of the Eastern Cape.
According to Franklin D Roosevelt, the only limit to the realisation of your future is today’s doubt. Continue to be the pride and shining example of our province.
Gade provided a comprehensive overview of the province’s achievements, challenges and concerted efforts for educational improvement.
Credit is due to the teamwork by the provincial department of education in collaboration with stakeholders, unions, school governing bodies, the South African Council of Churches, provincial House of Traditional Leaders, the business sector and sister departments.
The crucial oversight by the provincial legislature and strategic interventions by the provincial government played a crucial role in producing these outcomes.
Gade emphasised strategic interventions and collaborative efforts that contributed to the positive outcomes, in addition to the collaborations with teacher unions, curriculum interventions and various support programmes such as extra tuition classes and online resources that played a part.
These resulted in notable advancements that include an increase in bachelor’s passes, distinctions and improvements in subject performance, reflecting the commitment to elevating educational standards across diverse disciplines.
It is also encouraging to note that district and school performances highlighted include the most rural parts of the province leading.
The Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi district areas are leading the pack, with improvements noted across various metrics.
Looking ahead, we encourage all individuals to explore available funding opportunities for their educational journey.
Timely and widespread applications, especially for programmes like NSFAS and other bursaries, ensure that aspiring students can access the financial support necessary to pursue their academic endeavours.
As we collectively strive for progress, securing avenues for financial assistance becomes a crucial step towards achieving educational goals.
Let’s also extend our support and encouragement to those who didn’t make it, fostering a spirit of resistance. We acknowledge that such news might not have been received well.
However, there is another chance available for unsuccessful candidates to regroup and try again.
Various paths exist for pursuing dreams, and we genuinely wish them success in their future endeavours.
As we strive for continued progress, we say: aluta continua!
- Sakhumzi Caga: chair municipal public accounts committee, Buffalo City municipality, writing in his personal capacity.
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