. Mmusi Maimane, leader of Build One South Africa (BOSA), has renewed calls for urgent systemic reform, despite Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube praising parents and teachers for their dedication to supporting Grade 12 students throughout the year. The National Senior Certificate (NSC) results for 2025 have been made public at a time when the country is at the center of a heated debate about how education is doing.

This comes on the heels of Maimane's warning that low pass marks mislead the public and cover up more serious errors. He slammed the education system’s reliance on the 30% pass mark, saying that the figures used to celebrate student performance were misleading. South Africans are being duped today. He added that the celebrated pass rate is only "a mask of mediocrity" based on the lowest common denominator, and that a mark of 30% is not a pass and should never be used to report system performance. He went on to say that the nation requires a minister of education who is not a temporary administrator who manages failure by covering it up with inflated statistics.

The department of basic education requires the leadership of a genuine reformer. He stated, "We cannot maintain Bantu Education under a different name and have equal education." Maimane called for urgent changes to be made to the education system in South Africa. She asked the authorities to pay teachers more well, raise the matric pass mark to 50%, get rid of teachers who were not doing well, and lessen the amount of union interference in classrooms. Additionally, he proposed eliminating Life Orientation, making Computer Science a required course, and establishing a voucher system to provide parents with real choice in their child's education. He urged Gwarube to "end the lie, tell South Africans the truth, and take decisive, system-wide action" in response to his challenge.

Gwarube gave a speech on Monday, January 12, at the MTV Innovation Centre, at a ministerial breakfast with the Class of 2025's most successful students. Later on Monday evening, she is expected to announce the matric results. "To the parents and guardians present: today also belongs to you in the same way that it belongs to your children." Gwarube said, "A home that made sacrifices is behind every high-achieving learner," highlighting the dedication and sacrifices parents made to ensure their children could focus on learning. A family that put discipline ahead of comfort and hope ahead of despair. For your children's success, you carried emotional, financial, and mental weight. Even when the path was unclear, you never stopped believing. You sat through meetings, worried through exam seasons, and stretched your limited resources.

Additionally, she lauded teachers' unwavering dedication. "The quiet architects of excellence are teachers. You can see potential before it actually happens. You insist on high standards when learners would rather lower them. You correct, guide, encourage, and occasionally just refuse to give up on a child who may have already given up on themselves. She continued, "We cannot have excellent students without excellent teachers." I am grateful to you for shaping minds, fostering self-assurance, and standing up for high-quality education. The Gallery Widget in the article is not yet supported. Gwarube congratulated the most successful individuals in an address. "Not only have you passed, but you have also excelled. You have made it possible for yourself, your families, and your communities to do more.

Discipline, perseverance, and concentration are the keys to achieving excellence, which is not a privilege reserved for the few. Students were reminded by her that this is just the beginning. "There will be additional hills, boulders, and instances in which progress feels sluggish or setbacks feel heavy." When the climb once again becomes steep, do not give up. Not only does South Africa require your intelligence, but also your character. Additionally, Gwarube acknowledged the difficulties that students overcame to reach this point.

"You were confronted with circumstances over which you had no control, times when the climb felt unfair, and times when progress slipped away just as it appeared to be within reach. Nevertheless, you persevered. To protect the privacy of the candidates, only their examination numbers will be listed in the 2025 NSC results, which will be published in accredited newspapers.