Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga announced on Wednesday that the National Senior Certificate (NSC) class of 2016 had achieved a pass rate of 72.5% – up from the 70.7% in 2015.

The 2016 pass rate includes progressed learners – those who had failed Grade 11 twice and been pushed through to Grade 12. Without the large cache of progressed learners, the pass rate would have been 76.2%.

The Class of 2016 had 108 742 registered progressed learners, which was an increase from the 65 673 progressed learners in 2015.

“With progressed learners excluded, three provinces achieved at below 70%; five achieved above 80%; and one province achieved above 90%. The six provinces with above 80% must be commended,” Motshekga said.

“The 2016 NSC overall pass rate, with the progressed learners excluded, stands at 76.2%. However, with the progressed learners included, the 2016 NSC overall pass rate stands at 72.5%, which represents 442 672 candidates who have passed, the second largest in history. Well done to the Class of 2016!!!”

The Free State was the top performing province with 93.2%, an increase of 5.5% from the 87.7% in 2015. It was the only province to crack the 90% threshold.

“Congratulations MEC Tate Makgoe, this is a great feat, the first since the introduction of the National Senior Certificate examinations nine years ago,” Motshekga said.

“Breaking this threshold is no child’s play in the public sector with all the challenges of public education, having to deal with learners from poor to wealthy households, children from rural and urban settings, learners facing a variety of learning barriers, big learner numbers and just dealing with South Africa in its different manifestations.”

The total number of learners who registered for the 2016 NSC examinations, was 828 020, of which 674 652 were full-time candidates and 153 368 part-time candidates. A total of 610 178 full-time and 107 793 part-time learners wrote the 2016 NSC examinations.

“The Class of 2016 has recorded the highest enrolment of Grade 12 learners in the history of the basic education system in SA,” Motshekga said.

The Western Cape was the second best performing province with 87.7%, a decline of 0.3% from 88% achieved in 2015. Gauteng came third with 87%, an increase of 1.1% from 85.9% in 2015.

Motshekga read out the results of all the province’s in ascending order.

— Eastern Cape attained 63.3%, an increase of 1.1% from 62.2% in 2015
— Limpopo attained 68.2%, a decline of 3.5% from 71.7% in 2015
— KwaZulu-Natal attained 69.5%, an increase of 7.9% from 61.6% in 2015
— Mpumalanga attained 81.3%, a decline of 0.8% from 82.1% in 2015
— Northern Cape attained 82.2%, a decline of 1.8% from 84% in 2015
— North West attained 86.2%, an increase of 9% from 77.2% in 2015

NSC students from around the country will know their fate at midnight.