Western Cape celebrates highest-ever matric and bachelor’s pass rates

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde congratulated the province’s top matric achievers for obtaining the province's highest matric pass rate ever.

The province achieved an overall pass rate of 88.2 percent, with a bachelor’s pass rate of 49.2 percent.

The Western Cape was also home to the country’s top candidate with special educational needs.

As well as the country’s top matric learner, who also came from this province for the fifth year in a row.

Speaking at an awards ceremony on Thursday, Winde praised the learners, teachers, and parents for their hard work in building a stronger future for the province and the country.

"You have set your pathway to the future, you have set your pathway to a future job, to a future career, to making a difference in this world, and so I say to everyone -off you congratulations, well done."

Amid the celebrations of top achievers from the province, the Western Cape Education Department has also raised concerns over school vandalism

It has recorded 36 cases of school vandalism and burglary over the December school holidays.

This is slightly down from the 40 cases reported during the same period last year.

A total of 32 schools were targeted across the province, with 14 cases reported in the Eden and Central Karoo districts.

The department said that most cases involved school feeding kitchens, the theft of copper pipes, and electrical wiring.

The department has described this type of destruction as senseless and completely unacceptable.

Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said that repair costs range from R500 to R60 000...

"In one school, on the West Coast, over 110 windowpanes of the school hostel were smashed deliberately. This is unnecessary expenditure for any school to incur, regardless of the amount. We continue to appeal to communities to always keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour in our schools throughout the school year and report it to law enforcement immediately."