The Eastern Cape education department is targeting an 85% matric pass rate this year despite a decline in grade 12 performance, an increase in progressed pupils and staffing shortages that have disrupted teaching at some schools.
Education MEC Fundile Gade said the province's third-quarter grade 12 performance stood at 82%, compared with 83.9% in 2025, raising concerns about the prospects of the 127,666 full-time and part-time candidates registered for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations.
The province recorded an 84.98 matric pass rate in 2024.
Gade attributed the weaker performance to several factors, including an increase in progressed pupils, the suspension of 40 teachers over allegations of molesting pupils, the departure of experienced teachers through voluntary early retirement and language barriers affecting some pupils.
The number of progressed pupils — those promoted to the next grade despite not meeting all the usual requirements — had increased from 8,500 last year to 9,270.
Nineteen schools were also offering grade 12 for the first time, accommodating more than 1,200 pupils.
The target comes after the province failed to achieve its 87% goal in 2025, when the matric pass rate slipped to 84.2% from a record 84.98% in 2024.
Of the 106,561 candidates who wrote the examinations last year, 89,694 passed, while the number of unsuccessful candidates increased from 14,979 in 2024 to 16,867.
The proportion qualifying for bachelor's degree studies also declined, from 45.78% to 41.54%, representing 1,395 fewer university-entrance passes.
At the time, Gade acknowledged that disruptions to teaching had contributed to the disappointing results, citing flooding, scholar transport strikes and the suspension of teachers and principals.
The challenges have continued into 2026.
In April, pupils at Alphendale Secondary School in Buffalo Flats protested over teacher shortages, saying they had spent months without a physical science teacher.
A matric pupil said the shortage was jeopardising their results and prospects of university admission.
Scholar transport disruptions also affected almost 1,300 pupils at four Buffalo City Metro schools in May, with some missing examinations and nearly two weeks of classes after operators suspended services over unpaid invoices.
The department subsequently instructed officials to arrange additional classes and revision lessons for affected pupils.
Speaking as pupils gathered at Southbourne Primary School in Komani on Friday to pledge their commitment to credible and irregularity-free examinations, Gade said the department had been preparing for the examinations since March.
Interventions included extended-hour classes, weekend lessons and holiday programmes aimed at addressing gaps in pupils' understanding of their subjects.
The department had also strengthened curriculum monitoring and school-based assessments and procured 17,800 calculators, in addition to 7,000 delivered last year, for pupils taking mathematics, science and business-related subjects.
However, DA provincial education portfolio committee member Horatio Hendricks questioned whether the interventions were sufficient to overcome the challenges facing the matric class of 2026.
He said the party was concerned by education department head Sharon Maasdorp's reported assessment to parliament that this year's matric class was "not as strong" as the class of 2025, based on June results.
Hendricks said a reported 2.9 percentage-point decline in the June assessment results raised questions about the effectiveness of the department's interventions.
"Matric readiness, however, extends beyond examination preparation.
"Learners cannot be expected to reach their full potential against a backdrop which jeopardises their academic success," he said.
He pointed to an estimated R82bn school infrastructure backlog, including 104 mud structures, 836 schools affected by asbestos and 876 schools still using pit latrines.
Hendricks also raised concerns about scholar transport, saying more than 60,000 pupils reportedly remained without transport while the department considered rationalising more than 123 schools.
"The DA recognises the commitment of educators and officials working under difficult circumstances.
"However, these efforts must be matched by effective departmental leadership alongside measurable interventions and accountability for persistent shortcomings," he said.
"No learner should have to fight against the very conditions in which they are expected to learn."
Provincial education portfolio committee chair Monde Sondaba said the committee was satisfied with the department's examination preparations and the commitment shown by teachers, parents and pupils.
However, he acknowledged concerns about the post-provisioning model, which had resulted in some teachers taking subjects outside their specialisations or teaching multiple subjects because of staff shortages.
Sondaba called for improvements to school infrastructure, teaching resources and scholar transport, and appealed to communities not to disrupt schools during the examination period.
Gade said 120 independent provincial monitors had been appointed to oversee examinations across all districts.
The department would also monitor the unauthorised deregistration of candidates to prevent pupils from being excluded from the examinations.
A total of 5,063 pupils had been granted examination accommodations and concessions because of disabilities or other barriers.
Psychosocial support would be provided through 22 psychologists, 500 pupil support agents and 49 social workers.
The department had selected 7,183 examination markers, with marking scheduled to begin on November 14 at 26 centres across the province.
Gade warned that examination irregularities, including cheating and administrative misconduct, would not be tolerated.
"The integrity of an examination begins with every candidate making an individual commitment to do the right thing," he said.