As thousands of matriculants across South Africa continue with their NSC examinations, a reflective piece has reminded learners and parents that matric results, while important, do not always tell the full story of a student’s ability or future success.
This year, 962,832 matriculants across the country are sitting for the NSC examinations, with most matriculants in the Laudium Sun distribution area expected to conclude their examinations on Friday, November 20, with Afrikaans FAL P2.
We gathered at Engen with our friends, family, neighbours, my brother-in-law and siblings. The atmosphere was hectic. There was excitement, nervousness and tension all around. Everyone was waiting for that one moment, the moment the Laudium Sun, Special Edition, Matric 2025 Results would arrive and finally reveal the results we had all been anticipating.
And then it came. The Laudium Sun, Special Edition, Matric 2025 Results arrived. Alhamdulillah, we had a 100% pass rate. That was certainly something to celebrate. But what came next left many of us shocked. The amount of distinctions we had anticipated simply weren’t there. We knew our students. We knew their abilities. We knew the students who had consistently been at the top of their classes. We knew who had been achieving outstanding marks year after year. We even knew which students were expected to receive seven distinctions. But when we looked at the results, even those students had not received the seven distinctions we expected.
Students we were certain would walk away with seven distinctions were sitting with marks of 78% and 79%. The issue of the ‘10% reduction’ made those results. I was never the A student myself. But there were students who had been with me since Grade R, students I watched grow, learn and consistently excel throughout their school careers. They were always among the top students.
Seeing their university results today has made me look back at those matric results differently. It makes me question whether those matric results truly reflected their abilities. Because when you see what these young people are achieving at university, you cannot help but acknowledge that something simply did not seem right.
From primary school, Ameer Ansari was one of those students everyone knew. The top student, the Spelling Bee, the speech contests, somehow, the trophies and victories always seemed to find their way to him. He was the student teachers adored, hardworking, well mannered and consistently achieving. And then he was Dr Owais’s favourite ‘bodybuilder’ student of 2025! Today, however, Ameer is at university and is achieving distinctions, even in Physical Science. That speaks volumes.
Then there was Ameerah Ansari, the quiet one. She didn’t need to make noise. She simply studied. She was among the top contenders for Head Girl and anyone who knew her knew just how dedicated she was. She did practically every past paper imaginable. She knew her work inside out. I still remember having to rewrite History because she had achieved 100% in one paper. On the morning of the results, even teachers who had already left the school were calling her, asking how many distinctions she had received. That alone showed how strongly everyone believed in her capabilities. Today, Ameerah is studying IT at university and achieving distinctions across her subjects, including Mathematics, which has always been one of her favourite subjects. She is proving, once again, exactly what she is capable of.
Nazia Ebrahim was our Head Girl. A perfect student. Intelligent, dedicated and always willing to help others. And she always had that beautiful smile. At almost every awards ceremony, you could find Nazia sitting in the front row, ready to walk up and receive yet another award. The distinctions she received were certainly an achievement, but knowing Nazia, you couldn’t help but feel that she was capable of all seven.
Mohammed Suliman was our Head Boy. Quiet. Shy. Humble. But always achieving. He was one of those students who didn’t need to announce his abilities. His results and dedication spoke for themselves.
And then there was Najma Ebrahim. ‘Dynamite comes in small packages.’ One of the strongest girls I know, intelligent, confident and incredibly brave. She has always had a determination about her that made her stand out. And today, she is studying Pharmacy, continuing to prove that there is so much more to a student than the seven As we knew she would get. And just like that, life goes on.
Perhaps matric results are meant to be a snapshot of one particular moment. But university has shown us something important: a percentage on a piece of paper cannot always measure a student’s true potential. The students we watched grow from Grade R have continued to grow, achieve and surprise us. Their university results are telling another story, a story of intelligence, determination, resilience and capability.
Maybe the Laudium Sun, Special Edition, Matric 2025 Results didn’t tell the whole story that day. Maybe it only told us what the system recorded. Because the real story is being written now, in lecture halls, laboratories, examination rooms and university campuses. And these young people are still writing it. And just like that, life goes on.
– Submitted by former PMT Matriculant, now in University