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The DA notes the release of the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and congratulates those learners who have achieved this milestone, along with their educators and parents.

Those who have not passed are encouraged to take the opportunities provided to rewrite failed subjects and not give up hope.

The results, released by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, last night show that KZN has achieved a pass rate of 86.3% - an increase of 3.3% on the previous year. According to the Minister, KZN is also the second-best performing province after the Free State and is also the leading province in terms of Bachelor passes.

While the DA acknowledges this, we do not believe that it is a true reflection of KZN’s 2023 matric results - a figure which should be based on the 2023 matric cohort including the drop-out rate since Grade 10, and which we will reveal in the coming days.

While having a matric qualification remains significant, the devastating reality is that there is a severe lack of job opportunities in KZN – a direct result of the province’s Taliban faction ANC government. This is a brutal blow as the cost of living continues to rise.

The matric results for the class of 2023 are not a true reflection of the state of education in KZN. The reality is that our country and our province’s education system has been systematically destroyed by an ANC that does not care.

Today, KZN’s Education Department lacks leadership, school infrastructure is crumbling, parental involvement is poor and finances are ill-directed.

Regrettably, the matric class of 2024 are set to face the same challenges as their predecessors, if not more. Shortages of books, stationery and classroom furniture, insufficient learner transport and unsafe environments are only the tip of the iceberg.

This as unqualified educators – who cannot teach to start with - linger within KZN’s educational system and as poor quality evaluations and union strangleholds persist. The opposite is the reality where the DA governs.

The outlook is bleak but there is hope in the form of a new government in KZN – one that will turn education around. The matric class of 2023 owe it to themselves to ensure that they are registered to vote in the crucial upcoming elections, as do those who are eligible within the 2024 cohort.

If we are to see job creation, economic recovery and an open opportunity society for all in KZN then the ballot box is our only hope. Only a DA-led government can rescue our province.

Issued by Dr Imran Keeka, MPL - DA KZN Spokesperson on Education