{"id":47929,"date":"2026-01-20T06:46:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T06:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=47929"},"modified":"2026-01-20T06:46:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T06:46:33","slug":"one-south-african-school-had-a-0-pass-rate-in-the-2025-matric-exams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/01\/20\/one-south-african-school-had-a-0-pass-rate-in-the-2025-matric-exams\/","title":{"rendered":"One South African school had a 0% pass rate in the 2025 matric exams \u2013 Newsday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Naledi Ya Meso Secondary School in Limpopo province recorded a dismal 0% pass rate in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With the national pass rate standing at 88%, this isolated failure has ignited a blame game involving school management, teachers, parents, learners, and even supernatural beliefs, while provincial leaders vow swift interventions to turn the tide.<\/p>\n<p>Nestled in the rural village of Dikgalaopeng within the Sekhukhune South education district, Naledi Ya Meso Secondary School serves a small community in one of Limpopo\u2019s more challenged areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The school\u2019s name, translating to \u201cStar of the Morning\u201d in Sesotho, belies its recent struggles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Established as a public secondary institution, it has seen fluctuating enrollment, dropping from 135 pupils in 2024 to just 99 in 2025, with only nine learners currently registered for matric.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Despite government investments in infrastructure, including a fully equipped laboratory, the school grapples with chronic understaffing; some subjects lack teachers entirely.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, the school\u2019s performance has been underwhelming but showed signs of modest improvement. In 2023, it achieved a 40% pass rate, edging up to 40.1% in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, this progress evaporated in 2025, marking Naledi Ya Meso as the only school nationwide to post a complete failure<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">100% failure <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/One-South-African-school-had-a-0-pass-rate-in.png?resize=640%2C360&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/One-South-African-school-had-a-0-pass-rate-in.png 1200w, https:\/\/newsday.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ramathuba-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/newsday.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ramathuba-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/newsday.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ramathuba-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fifteen learners sat for the 2025 matric exams at Naledi Ya Meso, and not a single one passed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This stark outcome has left the community reeling, with parents expressing deep disappointment and learners hiding from public view out of shame.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One parent shared anonymously to the Sunday Times: \u201cSince the results came out, my son has been sleeping and ashamed; he never left the yard for days.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was saying that he can\u2019t walk in the streets with pride as they are the laughing stock of the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The failure stands in sharp contrast to the province\u2019s overall improvement and the national average, prompting urgent questions about systemic breakdowns.<\/p>\n<p>The fallout has exposed a web of interconnected issues, with no single party escaping scrutiny \u2013 or taking responsibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Principal Matshipane Mohlala, who has been ill, faces imminent removal amid accusations of poor oversight. Reports highlight years of institutional collapse, including a lack of accountability and inadequate staffing.<\/p>\n<p>Teachers have reported disinterest among pupils, such as refusing to attend Saturday classes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Allegations of violence, including learners attacking educators with pangas (machetes), have surfaced, painting a picture of rampant ill-discipline.<\/p>\n<p>A recurring theme is the alleged absence of parental support, with officials noting that some parents fail to address behavioural issues.<\/p>\n<p>Shifts in academic streams and a belief in witchcraft, where excellence is discouraged for fear of bewitchment, have also been cited.<\/p>\n<p>DA shadow minister for basic education, Nomsa Marchesi, described the incident as symptomatic of Limpopo\u2019s longstanding educational woes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Premier promises intervention<\/h2>\n<p>In a televised interview on eNCA, Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba minced no words:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know the problem now\u2026 There\u2019s no leadership, there\u2019s no management. Therefore, it\u2019s simple. The MEC knows what needs to be done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She said that changing management alone can yield dramatic improvements, citing a school that jumped from 38% to 98% pass rate after a principal swap.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ramathuba dismissed labour disputes playing out in the media, insisting on a proper diagnosis: \u201cProbably maybe all these years we\u2019ve not been making the correct diagnosis.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During her visit to the school on January 15, she promised not to close it, pledging adoption and support:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u201cWe will help you with your studies, but you must do most of the work yourselves.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis school cannot be closed. You even have a laboratory. We are going to adopt this school and improve its performance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In another eNCA segment, she highlighted monitoring efforts and allegations of learner misconduct, urging parental accountability: \u201cSo it\u2019s discipline; some parents cannot correct [their children].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Limpopo Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya has committed to interventions, acknowledging issues like underperformance during term exams and false assurances from the principal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-center border p-3 bg-light mt-4 rounded\">You have read 1 out of 5 free articles. Log in or register for unlimited access.<\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- Share Data Setup for JavaScript --><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#South #African #school #pass #rate #matric #exams #Newsday<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Naledi Ya Meso Secondary School in Limpopo province recorded a dismal 0% pass rate in the 2025 National Senior&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47929"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47931,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47929\/revisions\/47931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}