President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday congratulated the Matric Class of 2022, with nearly two-thirds of distinctions having been achieved by female candidates and a 10% increase in the number of female candidates obtaining Bachelor passes.

Ramaphosa said this was evidence of growing gender equality in education.

On Thursday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced the National Senior Certificate results, which boasted a 80.1% pass rate, an increase of 9% compared with 2021, in the number of learners qualifying for Bachelor studies.

The results also included a 77.2% pass rate among candidates from no-fees schools and a 91.5% pass rate in independent schools.

Ramaphosa congratulated the Class for outstanding individual and collective performances, especially since learners faced the challenge of two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Class of 2022 deserves the congratulations and respect of the nation for rising above the challenges of Covid-19, loadshedding and a period of unrest,” he stressed and said the results promised for a more hopeful future.

The President went on to encourage citizens to work together to build a society where learners were not only measured by their resilience in testing times but where they can fulfil their potential in conducive conditions.

“As much as we celebrate individual achievement, the Class of 2022 also constitutes a pass for our education system; it vindicates the extensive and unwavering investment we have made in education during nearly 30 years of freedom,” he stated.

He added that the achievements of 2022 were owed to the diligence of learners alongside the commitment and support of teachers and education officials, who also endured the challenges of the year.

Ramaphosa encouraged matriculates who failed to pick themself up and take advantage of a number of options that would empower them to continue their journey to success.