KwaZulu-Natal - home to the largest number of matriculants - has registered its highest matric pass rate yet.

Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu commended the class of 2019 for the improved pass rate, up from 76.2% in 2018 to 81.3% in 2019, at the provincial matric results announcement in Durban on Wednesday.

A total of 116,937 candidates sat for the final exams in the province.

“This is a historic achievement since the 1994 democratic breakthrough, as this pass percentage for NSC exams is comparable to none in the past.

“The 80% target has finally been reached and today we proudly join the league of other provinces who are in the 80% bracket,” said Mshengu.

The province also saw an increase in the number of bachelor passes, from 38,573 in 2018 to 44,189 in 2019, and an increase in the number of schools which had 100% pass rates.

“A total of 201 schools obtained 100% passes in 2019 compared with 121 schools in 2018. Included in these best schools are rural and quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools,” he said.

Mshengu added that despite several incidents of violence in schools in 2019, the pass rate had improved.

“The year 2019 was very difficult for the education sector. We had to contend with many factors that were inhibiting our progress,” he said.

The Ugu district had the highest overall pass percentage at 86.30%, followed by Amajuba at 85.20% and Pinetown at 83%.