Johannesburg - In spite of the matric class of 2022 being the hardest hit in terms of the Covid-19 pandemic with schooling disrupted from their Grade 10 year, the learners who wrote the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) National Senior Certificate were able to achieve a pass rate of 98.42%, slightly higher than last year’s pass rate of 98.39%.
The IEB said in a statement that all candidates who passed achieved a pass that grants access to tertiary study at one of the three levels with 89.32% of the cohort achieving entry to degree study.
Anne Oberholzer, IEB CEO, described the performance of the 2022 matric cohort as “outstanding”.
She said the 2022 cohort were the hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic when it erupted in 2020 in their Grade 10 year.
“Various strategies have been employed to try to mitigate these – moving teaching online, pen and paper distance education, catch-up programmes, weekend school lessons, and so on – some more successful than others,” said Oberholzer.
She added that while the 2022 matric class had the benefit of seeing how Grade 12 learners in 2020 and 2021 had managed to adapt to a new reality, they were the class that missed out the most in their Grade 10 and 11 years, which were fundamentally important to success in their matric performance.
“They have had to work hard to maintain their drive and perseverance to succeed and, in many respects, dig deep to play catch-up in terms of lost time and experiences. The social and emotional impact of the pandemic on learners cannot be overlooked – the impact of lockdown, the absence of normal social interaction with friends and engagement in the social activities of teenagers should not be under-estimated.”
Oberholzer praised the dedication of teachers for implementing various strategies to support their classes.
The IEB had 12 580 full-time and 945 part-time candidates in Grade 12 in 2022, registered at 232 IEB examination centres across the country and 8 071 of those candidates were from Gauteng.
Among the schools that performed well in the IEB exams were Crawford International College Sandton, Roedean and Saheti School, with learners from the schools appearing on both the Outstanding Achievements and Commendable Achievements lists.
Crawford Sandton principal Tracey Purkiss said the class of 2022 graduated with excellence, and the school is proud of their achievements.
"Their courageous spirit and resilience, enhanced by their outstanding academic results, will ensure they continue to be change-makers of the future while having a positive influence on everyone they encounter on their paths to greatness," Purkiss said.
Anabel Roberts,head of the senior school at Roedean, said the class of 2022 broke its own personal record for IEB matric results.
"I could not be more delighted in having the privilege of announcing these results and congratulating the 2022 cohort, their families and the teaching team on this monumental success," said Roberts.
"I have no doubt that armed with this strong foundation, our students will go into the world reflecting the values of truth, honour, freedom and courtesy as they leave our gates inspired to live a life of significance."
Saheti’s executive head Morag Rees said she has always been aware of the school’s reputation for outstanding academics, and having recently joined the school, she was exceptionally proud to be associated with this dynamic community.
"The determination and consistent effort of our matriculants is demonstrated in these outstanding results. Congratulations! Thank you to our expert teachers and invested parents for their invaluable partnership. I know that our matric class of 2022 will continue to make us proud in the future," Rees said.
The Star