The year 2024 has the lowest number of pupils who did not sit for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams compared to other years.
This is according to the department of education's director-general Mathanzima Mweli who hosted a technical briefing on Monday afternoon in Joburg.
Mweli said 19,020 (2.6%) did not sit for their exams in 2024. In 2020, out of 607 226 pupils who were enrolled, only 28,758 which represents 4,74% were absent.
We have a large number of learners who have been repeating.
— Mathanzima Mweli
The number continued to decline in the following years. The year 2023 also saw a decline with 24,567 out of 715,719 pupils being absent, which is 3,43%.
The department is expected to release the NSC exam results for the Class of 2024 at the Mosaiek Church in Fairland, Johannesburg, on Monday night.
Mweli also told the briefing that the major problem SA basic education faced was the failure and repetition rate.
"It is just too high compared to what other countries are performing. We have a large number of learners who have been repeating," he said.
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