Pretoria - President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the Matric Class of 2021 on the success achieved by this cohort of learners, educators and parents in a challenging environment worsened by the Covid-19.
The 2021 National Senior Certificate pass rate is 76,4 percent, with 256 000 learners eligible for university entrance.
“We applaud the multiple successes and improvements recorded by learners during the second year of challenges presented by Covid-19. Equally commendable is the support given to learners by educators and parents who made sacrifices of their own and placed the interests of learners ahead of their own concerns,” said Ramaphosa.
“This is a moment for celebration for learners who have passed and a moment for other learners to return to their desks and make another effort to advance their education and improve their quality of life into the future.”
“Our Second Chance programme is another route to success,” he said.
Ramaphosa called on learners to celebrate responsibly and safely within the Covid-19 health protocols.
Under 4 000 new infections of Covid-19 were recorded in South Africa on Thursday, along with 31 deaths in the last 24-48 hours.
“Today the institute reports 3 962 new Covid-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 572 860,” the National Insitute for Communicable Diseases said on Thursday.
South Africa’s smallest and most populated province, Gauteng, has contributed the majority of South Africa’s new cases on Thursday - followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
IOL