The 2020 matric pass results for Mpumalanga Province stand at 73.7percent. Education MEC Bonakele Majuba on Tuesday announcing the results said 56 330 learners wrote the 2020 examination and 39 367 managed to pass.
The department said this achievement is commendable considering the opposing circumstances caused by the Covid-19. Speaking during the official announcement of the matric results at the Uni9versity of Mpumalanga, Majuba said the greatest achievement is the fact that learners and teachers managed against all odds to return to class under extremely difficult circumstances when all indications were pointing to the end of the road for the 2020.
“It is common course that the 2020 school year was the most challenging year we had to ever experienced, with unprecedented developments in the annals of our education history. These challenges were caused by the advent of Covid-19, which manifested itself in many ways and caused a series of disruptions and serious devastation effects especially within the education sector. The pandemic imposed upon us what we now regard to be the new normal,” Majuba said.
He continued, “While some in our communities suggested that we should have closed shops because of the pandemic and envisioned 2020 becoming a deferred year, we elected to move on, reprioritised our plans, put all health and safety protocols in place, and ensured that lives were protected and the school year was salvaged. We were encouraged to witness a situation in which almost everyone put shoulder to the wheel and supported all endeavours aimed at protecting lives and also saving the school year,” he said.
“I therefore wish to take this opportunity once again to salute the departmental frontline staff, the 33 000 strong battalion of teachers, non-teaching staff, education sector unions, association of school governing bodies, learner formations and the business sector for the sterling job done in forging ahead even in the midst of the pandemic. Without your patriotic sacrifice, commitment and foresight, we would not be here today to announce the results,” he disclosed. Majuba said the lessons learned during the Covid-19 quagmire was that for the delivery of education to thrive and yield expected outcomes, it required everyone to pull hands on deck and make education everyone’s business.
