Leave Pupils Out Of Protests, Says Lesufi After Matric Pass Rate Drops

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said schools that experienced disruptions due to protests dragged the province’s matric pass rate down.

Lesufi was speaking at the announcement of the provincial matric results in Randburg.

Gauteng received the second-highest pass rate in the country, achieving 87.2%, a 0.7% decline from the previous year.

Lesufi said communities that targeted schools during protests had a direct effect on the performance of schools.

“The schools that used to give us a good performance were affected by protests.”

Lesufi urged community members to stay away from schools during protests.

“We don’t tell people not to protest, but leave learners out of it.”

The MEC congratulated the class of 2019, saying despite the province coming second in the country, there were many victories to celebrate such as having claimed the top three performing districts and accounting for the highest number of bachelor passes.

EWN