The results of the Matric Class of 2024 will be announced by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube for the first time, making a new chapter 14 years after the department was previously led by former minister Angie Motshekga.
Gwarube was appointed last year by President Cyril Ramaphosa and took over from Motshekga who had served as minister for the portfolio since 2009.
On Monday, January 13, Gwarube hosted a ministerial breakfast, in Fairland, Johannesburg, to honour the top 39 achievers at the MTN Innovation Centre.
The ceremony celebrated their hard work and dedication.
As the country awaits the results of the 2024 National Senior Certificates (NSC), all eyes are on this year's class.
This includes, according to the department, 727,121 full-time and 155,215 part-time candidates. About 16,400 learners also wrote the Independent Examination Board (IEB) exams.
The class of 2024 began high school in 2020, during the height of Covid-19 lockdown.
In her address, Gwarube acknowledged the challenges that learners faced throughout the year, such as poverty, lack of study materials and poor infrastructure.
She stressed these hardships as the reason behind awarding two top learners with ministerial awards.
“It's really exciting that this evening we will be awarding two extraordinary South Africans who have despite the challenges, pushed through,” Gwarube said.
“They have shown us that even some of the things that can break many of us, they used it to fuel them so that they can strive to do better and change a lot of their lives.”
She acknowledged her own background stating: “As somebody who grew up in a village myself, without much, and raised by a single mother, I can tell you the power of education in changing somebody's trajectory.”
Gwarube emphasised that access to quality education is crucial to change the future of the country.
“We must ensure that the 13.5 million learners in South Africa, they too must have access to good quality education,” she said.
“That education must be a beacon of hope for their families, enabling them to change their lives and the trajectory of our country.”
Gwarube acknowledged that inequality in South Africa still persists, stressing that education is the key to undoing it.
“The inequality in our country persists, and it will only be undone if we make sure that all of you leave with a quality product in your hand, and that's what we will work, day and night, to make sure that we do,” she added.
Gwarube is set to announce the Matric Results of the Class of 2024 at 6pm.
IOL News