The Department of Basic Education's policy to promote more than 100 000 learners has borne fruit, Minister Angie Motshekga said on Wednesday.

The 2016 matric pass rate, including the results of the progressed learners, has increased to 72.5% - 1.8% more than last year’s rate of 70.7%.

Progressed learners refer to learners who failed Grade 11 for two consecutive years and were then automatically promoted to matric.

Motshekga said that the progressed learner programme, and providing academic support for these pupils, had been a key focus area.

“One of the key areas in the year of 2015 was encouraging the progression of learners who failed Grade 11 or who were over-aged and to give them extra support,” she said.

“As a result in 2016 we saw the largest number of progressed learners since the promulgation of the policy. Failing learners does not help them. We need to instead support them in areas of weakness,” Motshekga said.

“Of the progressed learners we managed to get over 3 000 bachelor degree passes. More than 12 000 diplomas and more than 13 000 that were condoned and progressed.

“The significance of this achievement is that these learners would be high school drop outs if they had not been supported,” she said.