By Rorisang Rampheteng.
Caption: Free State matric top performers and government officials including Education MEC Dr Mantlhake Julia Maboya, during a media briefing held this morning (Friday). Image Rorisang Rampheteng.
Although the Free State secured second place nationally in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results, concerns have been raised that the province’s overall performance did not fully meet expectations. The concerns were raised by the Free State MEC for Education, Dr Mantlhake Julia Maboya, during a media briefing held this morning ( Friday).
MEC admits targets were not met
Maboya acknowledged that while the province remains among the top-performing nationally, the department had hoped for stronger outcomes, especially in key gateway subjects. She explained that the department had set higher internal targets aimed at improving learner performance across all districts. “While we are proud to have maintained second position nationally, we must admit that the results fell short of what we had planned and expected,” she said.
Several challenges affected the performance
According to the MEC, some districts showed little improvement, while others recorded a slight decline. She attributed this to several challenges, including learning disruptions, shortages of teachers in critical subjects, and difficult socio-economic conditions faced by learners. “Second place is commendable, but it does not fully reflect the potential of our learners and educators. We expected growth across the board,” she said.
However, Maboya stressed that these challenges should not be used as an excuse. “As a department, we must take responsibility. We need to strengthen support for schools, teachers and learners,” Maboya said.
Department to conduct detailed analysis and targeted interventions
Despite the shortcomings, the MEC commended educators, school management teams and learners for their dedication throughout the academic year. She said the department would conduct a detailed analysis of the NSC results to identify problem areas. “Our focus now is on targeted interventions. We will intensify learner support programmes and strengthen teacher development to improve outcomes in the coming year, “she said.
Commitment to Improvement
The Free State has consistently ranked among the top provinces in NSC performance an had maintained the the number one spot in the country for a few years in the past. However, Maboya said the department remains committed to continuous improvement rather than relying on rankings alone.
She concluded by reaffirming the department’s commitment to improving the quality of education and restoring public confidence in the province’s education system.