There was a good deal of excitement about the fact that the Matric Class of 2012 – the first cohort of the so-called ‘born frees’ – achieved a pass rate of 73.9%. Indeed, it was the best performance since the advent of democracy. However, questions remain about the quality of the certificate. Critics point to a high drop-out rate, a low 30% threshold for passing certain subjects, low numbers achieving a university exemption and the fact that a matric certificate is not really making young South Africans workplace ready.