The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination was written by 550,127 full-time and 138,533 part-time candidates.
While the 75.8% pass rate represents a 2.4 percentage points decrease from the 2013 pass rate of 78.2%, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the bar had been raised to improve the quality of the examination outcome and enhance the quality and standard of Grade 12 graduates.
"At the beginning of the exams, I did announce much more stringent marking criteria. Marker appointments were also audited and a tighter moderation process was put in place," said the minister while announcing the results yesterday.
Of the total number of learners who wrote the NSC examination in 2014, 150,752 (28.3%) qualified for admission to Bachelor studies.
However, 135,943 candidates qualify for supplementary exams, which will be written in February and March.
Minister Motshekga said these learners will be given special support to prepare for these exams.
"After receiving their results tomorrow [today], they should start immediately to prepare for their supplementary exams," she said.
This was the first time the new national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) programme was tested at matric level.
The minister commended all provincial education departments for working tirelessly and consistently hard from the beginning of 2014 to ensure they produce good quality results.
The class of 2014 are able to access their results today.
The minister congratulated the Gauteng province for coming in first position in the 2014 matric results, recording an 84.7% pass rate.
Although Gauteng's pass rate declined by 2.3 percentage points from 87% in 2013, the minister commended the province for doing well.
Gauteng contributed the highest number of candidates qualifying for Bachelor studies in 2014 at 36 843, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 35,724 and Western Cape at 18,524.
The number of Bachelor passes from Limpopo is also notable at 16,325.
"What is also interesting to note is that there has been an increase in achievements by distinction in some subjects. History increased from 3.3% to 4.1%, Mathematical Literacy increased from 1.8% to 2.4% and Physical Science increased from 3.0% to 3.3%," Minister Motshekga said.
Gauteng was followed by the North West with a pass rate of 84.6%, down from 87.2% in 2013.
The Free State, which was the top province in 2013, came in third with 82.8%, down from 87.4% in 2013.
Eastern Cape achieved 65.4%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 64.9 in 2013.
KwaZulu-Natal achieved 69.7%, a decline from 77.4% in 2013, and a drop of 7.7 percentage points. It is the steepest decline of all the provinces.
Limpopo achieved 72.9% in 2014, up from 71.8% of 2013, an improvement of 1.1%.
Northern Cape achieved 76.4%, up from 74.5% in 2013, an improvement of 1.9 percentage points, the highest improvement in 2014.
Mpumalanga achieved 79%, up by 1.4 percent from 77.6% in 2013.
Western Cape achieved 82.2%, down from 85.1% in 2013, a decline of 2.9 percentage points.
Minister Motshekga said of all the 81 education districts in the country, no district performed below 50% in 2014.
One district in the Eastern Cape had performed below 50% in 2013.
"In the Eastern Cape, the eight districts that performed between 50% and 59% have been reduced to five, with now two districts from KZN joining this category. Twelve districts from the Eastern Cape performed under 69%, four from KZN and one from Limpopo," the minister said.
She said in the Eastern Cape, one district performed under 80%, while four out of five districts in the Free State performed above 80% and the other district performed between 70% and 79%.
"In Gauteng, 13 out of 15 districts performed above 80% and the other two performed between 70% and 79%. In Limpopo, one out five performed above 80%, while in Mpumalanga one out of four.
"In the Northern Cape, one out of four performed above 80% and in the Western Cape all districts performed above 80%," said the minister.
The top five districts are the following: Gauteng West at 92.7%; Sedibeng East District at 90.7%; Ekurhuleni North at 88.7%, West Coast in the Western Cape 88.4% and Overberg in the Western Cape and Johannesburg South both at 88.1%.
"Other districts that performed above 80% are Eastern Cape - Cradock 82.3%, Limpopo - Vhembe 81.1%, Mpumalanga - Ehlanzeni District 82.1%, North West - Bojanala Platinum District 86.2% - Dr K Kaunda 83.8% - Ngaka M Molema 87.0%, Northern Cape - Namaqua 82.0%," said the minister.
Minister Motshekga said the focus in 2014 was on improving performance in key gateway subjects and supporting underperforming schools and their principals.
"These initiatives have yielded results. However, there is much more work that needs to be done and it starts on the first day of school for all grades," she said.
For the past four years, the pass rate has increased from 60.6% in 2009 to 78.2% in 2013.
"We came into office in 2009, through our agreement performance with the Presidency and schooling 2030 we had targeted 75% by 2014. In 2013 we achieved 78.2%, we had surpassed our target with a year to go," she said.
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