​Thembisa Shologu
Gauteng class of 2022 passed the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination with a staggering 84.4% pass rate thanks to dedicated learners, helpful teachers, and supportive parents.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, on 19 January 2023, announced that this achievement is a 1.7% improvement from the 2021 matric results of 82.8% and puts Gauteng as the second top-performing province in South Africa. 
Nationally, the Class of 2022 recorded an 80.1% pass rate despite being faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the country's lockdown in their Grade 10 and 11 schooling years.
On Friday, the Gauteng Provincial Government led by Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC for Education Matome Chiloane announced the province's 2022 matric results, including the awarding of top-performing learners at Soshanguve East Secondary School in Pretoria. 
The Class of 2022 in Gauteng achieved the highest number of Bachelor Passes in the country and the highest number in the province since 1996.
Of the 113 006 candidates who passed their matric, 58 119 (43.4%) achieved a Bachelor's Pass. Nationally, Gauteng contributed 20.8% of all Bachelor Passes achieved countrywide. 
The province also obtained 43 300 distinctions, the second highest in the country.
All 15 Gauteng Districts performed above 80%, with four districts being part of the Top 10 Performing Districts in the country, having achieved pass rates of more than 85% each.
MEC Chiloane said what was also worth noting was the positive trend of more schools, especially township schools in Gauteng, achieving a 100% pass rate. In 2021, a total of 131 schools achieved a 100% pass rate, and the figure has risen to 149 schools for the 2022 matric exams. 
"In light of the Gauteng Provincial Government's Township, Informal Settlements and Hostel (TISH) focus, we are pleased that more township public schools excelled in the 2022 NSC exams. 
"We congratulate the principals of the 107 township public schools, including 9 Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) schools, that achieved a pass rate of above 90% for the sterling work done. Only 61 township public schools achieved above 90% last year," said Chiloane.
The MEC said he was happy that township school interventions were bearing fruit. 
"In 2009, township schools achieved an average pass rate of 60.1%, with non-township schools achieving 84.2%, making a gap of 24.1%. In 2023, the gap improved to 8.3% compared to 9.8% in 2021 and compared to 11.8% in 2020, but still below when compared to the 2.8% in 2019," said Chiloane.
Premier Lesufi said as part of the skills revolution, the province introduced a creative schooling system known as the Schools of Specializations (SoS). SoSs provide skills-based curricula specific to the province's economic growth. 
SoS's made strides, with 8 of the province's schools achieving a pass rate of over 90%. The Katlehong Engineering SoS led the pack with a 99.4% pass rate.
"These results represent hard work. Let me thank all our learners. We know it takes work. 
"We are proud of them, but we must mostly thank those who represented us on the national stage. We are here to confirm that these results are the results of educators," said Premier Lesufi.
The results, he added, must be a growth path for all educators in the education space, as this is how a strong base is built.
"The results from the township school are encouraging, and I can openly confess that we have turned the corner. 
"If Mahlasedi High in Doorenkop can give us a 98% matric pass and a 98% bachelor pass, there is no need for children of that community to leave a best-performing school and claim they need a better school in the suburbs or any other area.
Lesufi committed to prioritizing teacher unions, learners and health in providing whatever resources they needed so that they can be in a position to have essential skills in the province. 
Gauteng's top achievers are, at number one, Christelle Jones from Hoerskool Randburg and Emily Hawkes from Pretoria High School for Girls, Bahrat Sandra Shree at two and third place is Sibusiso Mathebula from IR Lesolang Secondary, who is also number one from township schools with 7 distinctions including a 100% in Physical Science.
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