What this analysis covers
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) 2025 School Performance Report publishes verified matric results for every public and independent school in South Africa, including historical performance data from 2023 to 2025.
Using this official dataset, Pondoland Times analysed Eastern Cape schools to identify those that:
- Improved by 20 percentage points or more, or
- Declined by 20 percentage points or more
over the three-year period.
Important editorial note:
The DBE does not rank schools or label them as “improving” or “declining”.
The trends below are compiled by Pondoland Times based on changes in DBE-published pass rates.
Why this matters
Looking at multi-year trends, rather than a single year’s result, helps:
- Parents and learners understand how schools are progressing over time
- Educators identify peer schools showing sustained improvement
- District offices target support where performance has weakened
- Communities engage more constructively with school leadership
A single year’s pass rate can fluctuate. Sustained improvement or decline over several years is more meaningful.
Eastern Cape Schools Showing Significant Improvement (2023–2025)
The following schools recorded increases of 20 percentage points or more between 2023 and 2025, based on DBE data.
| School | DBE District | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mkhalanjalo Senior Secondary School | OR TAMBO INLAND | 59.3% | 78.1% | 90.2% | ▲ +30.9 |
| Ntsizwa Senior Secondary School | OR TAMBO INLAND | 63.2% | 72.4% | 87.5% | ▲ +24.3 |
| Cacadu High School | CHRIS HANI WEST | 55.0% | 71.0% | 84.6% | ▲ +29.6 |
| Colosa Senior Secondary School | AMATHOLE EAST | 47.8% | 63.3% | 79.5% | ▲ +31.7 |
| Mzomhle Senior Secondary School | BUFFALO CITY | 61.1% | 78.6% | 89.2% | ▲ +28.1 |
These schools moved from below-average or moderate performance to strong pass rates over three years. While DBE data does not explain the causes, such trends often coincide with greater stability, improved learner support, or strengthened school management.
Eastern Cape Schools Showing Significant Decline (2023–2025)
The following schools recorded declines of 20 percentage points or more over the same period:
| School | DBE District | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbongweni Senior Secondary School | ALFRED NZO EAST | 78.2% | 61.5% | 48.0% | ▼ −30.2 |
| Nyaniso Senior Secondary School | OR TAMBO COASTAL | 81.7% | 66.3% | 54.8% | ▼ −26.9 |
| Cala Senior Secondary School | CHRIS HANI WEST | 72.4% | 60.0% | 49.5% | ▼ −22.9 |
| Lujiko Senior Secondary School | AMATHOLE WEST | 70.0% | 59.3% | 45.7% | ▼ −24.3 |
| Empindweni Senior Secondary School | JOE GQABI | 69.2% | 53.5% | 40.4% | ▼ −28.8 |
In these cases, pass rates declined consistently over more than one year. The DBE report does not assign reasons, but sustained declines can signal structural or support challenges that may require targeted district-level intervention.
How this information should be used
Parents and learners
- Ask schools about their three-year performance trend
- Engage School Governing Bodies (SGBs) on academic support plans
- Recognise that improvement and decline are not permanent states
School leadership and educators
- Use improving schools as peer learning references
- Analyse subject-level results, not only overall pass rates
- Focus on continuity and learner support across grades
District education offices
- Use trend data to prioritise support, not to stigmatise schools
- Combine pass rates with enrolment, staffing, and subject performance
- Avoid reactive responses based on a single year’s results
Where the data comes from
All figures used in this article are drawn from the Department of Basic Education’s 2025 School Performance Report, which includes:
- School-level matric results for 2023, 2024 and 2025
- Number of learners who wrote and passed
- Official DBE district classifications
The report is available via the Department of Basic Education, provincial education departments, and district offices.
District names in this article are listed exactly as published in the DBE 2025 School Performance Report.
