South Africa: Not One Learner Passed Matric At Limpopo School

All 15 learners failed matric at Naledi Ya Meso Secondary School in Dikgalaopeng, Limpopo, the country's only 100% fail rate.

Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba visited the school on 15 January, promising help and blaming poor leadership.

Naledi Ya Meso Secondary School in Dikgalaopeng, Limpopo, recorded a 100% failure rate in the 2025 matric exams. All 15 learners who sat for exams failed.

The school sits in Sekhukhune South, one of Limpopo's poorest areas. One parent told the Sunday Times their son has been hiding at home since the results came out.

"Since the results came out, my son has been sleeping and ashamed. He never left the yard for days," the parent said. "He was saying that he can't walk in the streets with pride as they are the laughing stock of the community."

The school's pass rate was 40% in 2023 and 40.1% in 2024. This year it dropped to zero. Enrollment fell from 135 learners in 2024 to 99 this year.

Only nine learners are now registered for matric. The school has a laboratory but not enough teachers. Some subjects have no teacher at all.

Principal Matshipane Mohlala is sick and faces removal. Teachers say learners refuse to come to Saturday classes. There are reports that some learners attacked teachers with pangas.

Parents are also blamed for not disciplining their children. Some people believe that doing well at school will get you bewitched.

DA shadow minister for basic education Nomsa Marchesi said the disaster shows Limpopo's education problems. Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba visited the school on 15 January.

"We know the problem now. There's no leadership, there's no management. Therefore, it's simple. The MEC knows what needs to be done," she said on eNCA.

She said one school jumped from 38% to 98% after changing principals. "Probably all these years we've not been making the correct diagnosis," she said.

Ramathuba promised not to close the school. "This school cannot be closed. You even have a laboratory. We are going to adopt this school and improve its performance," she told learners.

Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya promised to step in. She admitted the principal gave false assurances during the year.

Read the original article on Scrolla.