/ 5 January 2017

Matric results 2016: 18 schools obtain 0% pass rate

A college accused of leaking a matric maths exam paper last year is among 18 schools that obtained a 0% pass rate in the national senior certificate exams.
The general public is most often unaware of certain manipulations that enable some schools to claim their 100% pass rate records and the prestige that comes along with it. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

A college owned by a Limpopo businessperson accused of leaking a matric maths exam paper last year is among 18 schools that obtained a 0% pass rate in the 2016 national senior certificate exams.

None of the 171 candidates who wrote their matric exam at the New Era College in Malamulele, Limpopo, passed the exams.

The college’s owner, Tinyiko Khosa (52), was granted bail of R4 000 in November at the Giyani Magistrate’s Court after allegedly distributing a leaked paper to some pupils.

A pupil at Giyani High School blew the whistle after receiving copies of the question paper as a WhatsApp message a day before it was to be written.

According to a parent of a pupil at the school, the sender of the message asked the pupil to provide answers to some of the questions in the paper.

The pupil innocently sent it to other pupils in a WhatsApp study group.

Other Limpopo schools to achieve infamy for having a 0% pass rate are:

  • High Quality Science in Mopani
  • Makidi Secondary in Greater Sekhukhune
  • Nokanantshwana Secondary from the Capricorn district

A total of 10 schools in KwaZulu-Natal also scored 0% in the matric exams. These are:

  • Gcinokuhle Junior Secondary from eThekwini
  • Icesa Matric School (Pietermaritzburg)
  • Inkumane High in Maritzburg
  • Isabelosethu High in Ukhahlamba
  • Mthambo High in eThekwini
  • Mthonga Secondary in Zululand
  • Siyazizamela Secondary in Zululand
  • Sizamiseni Secondary in eThekwini
  • Sondoda Secondary in eThekwini
  • St Martin de Porres Comprehensive in Maritzburg

Middle Zolo Senior Secondary from Cofimvaba and Msobomvu High from East London were also among the 18 schools.

Two schools from Gauteng, Brain Trust College in Ekurhuleni South and Vine Christian College in Gauteng West, also featured on the list.