South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the Class of 22 for its great performance in final exams which has made the nation to have a more hopeful future in “this generation of young South Africans to take our country to new heights,” APA learnt on Saturday.
The president was reacting to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announcement that the High School Class of 2022 has scored a remarkable 80.1% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate exams — the second highest since 2019.
“The Class of 2022, through its commendable performance, has made our future more hopeful, a future in which this generation of young South Africans will take our country to new heights,” Ramaphosa said.
“We must all work together to build a society where learners are not measured only by their resilience in testing times — but where they can also fulfill their potential in conducive conditions,” he said.
He added: “As much as we celebrate individual achievement, the Class of 2022 also constitutes a pass for our education system.”
“It vindicates the extensive and unwavering investment we have made in education during nearly 30 years of freedom,” the president said.
Ramaphosa said that the country owed the achievements of 2022 to the diligence of learners alongside the commitment and support of teachers as well as education officials who also endured the challenges of the year.
He congratulated the Class of 2022 for the outstanding individual and collective performances in the face of challenges arising from two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, load shedding, and a period of unrest.
Ramaphosa said that the Class of 2022 deserved the congratulations and respect of the nation as well for rising above these challenges.
Turning to the students who did not pass the exams, he said: “For the relatively small proportion of unsuccessful candidates, this is not the end of the road.”
“You can pick yourself up and take advantage of a number of options that will empower you to continue your journey to success,” the president said.
NM/as/APA