Johannesburg - South Africa's Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga Thursday night, announced that the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination pass rate in 2017, with the progressed learners included, stood at 75.1 percent.
"The 2017 NSC overall pass rate, with the progressed learners excluded, stands at 76.5 percent, a 0.3 percent improvement from the 76.2 percent achieved in 2016," the minister said.
The class of 2016 received a 72.5 percent pass rate which was an improvement from 70.7 percent in 2015. This figure included so-called progressed learners, those who had failed Grade 11 twice and were moved onto Grade 12. This is a 2.6 percent improvement from the 72.5 percent achieved in 2016
"The total number of candidates, who registered for the November 2017 NSC examinations, was 802 431; comprising 629 155 full-time candidates, and 173 276 part-time candidates. Of these candidates, 534 484 full-time candidates, and 117 223 part-time candidates, wrote the 2017 NSC examinations."
The minister mentioned that a total of 161 081 distinctions were attained, including distinctions in critical subjects, such as accounting, business studies, economics, mathematics and physical science.
With total of 25 574 public schools in the country, Motshekga said that in the 12 key subjects (including accounting, business studies, economics, mathematics, and physical science among others), the total number of distinctions stood at 62 154, a decline of 4.6 percent from 2016.
The number of distinctions attained specifically in the gateway subjects was, 5 040 distinctions were achieved in accounting; 6,726 distinctions were achieved in mathematics; and 7 861 distinctions were achieved in physical science.