THE MATRIC class of 2020 at St Patrick’s College CBC achieved 100 percent pass rate in the final Independent Examination Board (IEB) examinations.
St Patrick’s College CBC executive headmaster Craig Neave said that despite the challenges they faced during an unprecedented year, the Class of 2020 obtained a grade average of 63 percent.
“Out of the group of 25 matriculants, 23 obtained Bachelor degree passes. This equates to 92 percent of the group. We are incredibly proud of each of our matrics.”
The school indicated that this is the 10th consecutive year that a 100 percent pass rate was achieved, in spite of interrupted school and numerous challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group obtained 16 A symbols and 47 B symbols.
Dux pupil Nicole Möller, obtained the highest average of 78 percent, with distinctions in Afrikaans First Additional Language, Life Orientation and Mathematics.
According to the IEB the 2020 National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate was slightly lower at 98.07 percent, compared to last year's pass rate of 98.82 percent.
A total of 12 024 full time and 1 139 part time candidates wrote the IEB NSC examinations in October and November last year.
This is an increase from 2019 when there were 11 818 full-time candidates and 779 part-time candidates.
It stated that all candidates who passed, achieved a pass that would qualify them to enter tertiary study at one of the three levels:
88.42 percent (compared to 89.51 percent in 2019) of the cohort achieved entry to degree study.
8.14 percent (compared to 7.91 percent in 2019) qualified for entry to diploma study.
1.51 percent (compared to 1.4 percent in 2019) achieved entry for study at the higher certificate level.
The IEB stated that several pupils had withdrawn and had postponed completion of Grade 12 until this year, due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief executive of the IEB Anne Oberholzer indicated that a number of learners opted to only write a few subjects in the 2020 year where they decided to postpone their remaining subjects until 2021.
“Understandably, learners with comorbidities or who shared their home with vulnerable family members were fearful of contracting Covid-19 while writing examinations.
"The excellent performance of the Class of 2020 under very difficult circumstances, underscores the importance of the years of good, solid teaching and learning prior to the Grade 12 year. These achievements are proof that the Grade 12 year on its own does not provide the understanding, perseverance and resilience needed to achieve excellent results in the matric year – but that is the culmination of work and learning over 12 or 13 years of quality schooling."
She added that the decision taken by the Minister of Basic Education not to trim the curriculum had protected the integrity of the examinations.
The closing date for the application for remarking is March 3 and the results from remarking will be released on March 26.
The closing date for learners who qualify to enrol for the supplementary examination is April 16.