By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – The Free State has relinquished its long-held status as South Africa’s top-performing matric province, with uneven results in Thabo Mofutsanyana District laying bare a deepening crisis of learner discipline, weak parental involvement and fragile support systems in rural no-fee schools.
Announcing the 2025 National Senior Certificate results, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube urged teachers and school leaders to safeguard teaching time, implement evidence-based learning methods and strengthen professional collaboration.
“To the Class of 2025, congratulations on a record-breaking 88% pass rate. Siyazingca ngani. Nisebenzile,” Gwarube said. “You have shown resilience not only in these examinations, but through years of learning in a country that has demanded much of you. South Africa sees you.”
She praised strong performances in no-fee schools, stressing that talent exists in every community. “When we strengthen the roots, hope becomes an outcome, not a slogan,” she said.
Learners who fell short were encouraged to consider rewrites, support programmes and second-chance opportunities.
The Free State, which led the country in 2024 with a 91% pass rate, dropped to second place this year with 89.33%, overtaken by KwaZulu-Natal at 90.6%.
Free State Education MEC Dr Julia Maboya congratulated KwaZulu-Natal on its achievement, while reaffirming the province’s commitment to improvement.
“As for us, we will continue striving for excellence. We thank our teachers, parents and the Class of 2025 for their effort and dedication,” she said.
In Thabo Mofutsanyana, the results paint a starkly uneven picture. While some schools continue to produce outstanding outcomes, others remain trapped in cycles of underperformance, driven more by social breakdown than academic incapacity.
Mohato Secondary School in Monontsha village, QwaQwa, recorded a 68.5% pass rate. Principal Lekhetho Mosikatsana blamed persistent ill-discipline and limited parental support.
“Our biggest challenge is learner discipline,” Mosikatsana said.
“Many learners do not respect school rules, arrive late, bunk classes and show little interest in learning. When parents are called to school, they question why they should come. Serious misconduct is reported, but nothing changes.”
He stressed that education cannot succeed without support from home.
“Education is not the school’s responsibility alone. It starts at home. You cannot teach effectively in an environment where there are no consequences.”
By contrast, Sekgutlong Secondary School in the same area achieved a 94.3% pass rate and is targeting 100% through a matric hostel support project designed to provide a stable, focused learning environment for the Class of 2026.
The contrast highlights a growing reality in the district: where discipline, structure and support are present, performance improves; where neglect and instability prevail, failure becomes normalized.
For many families in QwaQwa, matric is more than a final examination — it is a critical escape route from poverty. Without firm discipline and active parental involvement, that route continues to narrow.
