We are extremely proud of 40 of Bulungula College’s newest Matriculants — an extraordinary achievement for these learners, their families, our school, and our community. This graduating class, our largest yet with 56 learners, achieved an overall pass rate of 71%.
In just five years, Bulungula College has supported 187 learners to pass Matric, compared to an average of just six per year before the school was established, when no local high school existed. These milestones matter because they represent expanded opportunity for young people in our community and the dismantling of legacy Apartheid-era educational barriers.
At the same time, it is important to reflect honestly on the reality that a 71% pass rate is significantly lower than our performance in previous years, when BC earned the top-performing school in our circuit for three consecutive years (with 97%, 98%, and 100% pass rates).
These results were not unexpected. As shared in a previous blog post, this has been our most challenging cohort to date. At the mid-year point in 2025, fewer than half of our learners were passing. This raised serious concern, and in response, we implemented an intensive catch-up plan to support learners, teachers, and staff during the final months of preparation.
While this year presented a range of challenges, one of the most significant was the inclusion of older learners who had previously dropped out and enrolled at BC, seeking a final opportunity to complete Matric. Accepting these learners meant taking on both academic and emotional complexity. Some older male learners struggled with behaviour and discipline, which disrupted the overall classroom environment at times. Rather than exclude them, we worked closely with our counselling team and traditional leadership to provide support. This was not an easy path — but it is aligned with our strong commitment to youth development.
Despite the complexity of this class, our academic performance improved substantially over the year. Below is the subject breakdown for this year’s Matric results, with comparisons to the June exam performance:
- isiXhosa Home Language: 100% pass (no change from June)
- English First Additional Language: 100% pass (+5% improvement)
- Mathematics: 53% pass (+91% improvement; highest in our circuit)
- Mathematical Literacy: 79% pass (+27%)
- Life Orientation: 100% pass (no change from June)
- Agricultural Sciences: 68% pass (+181%)
- Life Sciences: 79% pass (–11%)
- Physical Sciences: 60% pass (+60%)
- Business Studies: 93% pass (+8%)
A full overview and analysis of the 2025 results and challenges has been compiled by the Bulungula College Board of Directors and is available here.
Keeping ourselves moving forward, we convened our 2026–2028 Strategic Planning Meeting this past weekend. The workshop brought together the full Bulungula College team, BI senior management, Board members, traditional leadership, and an external organisational development facilitator. Together, we critically examined our challenges, identified key priorities, and developed a clear roadmap with actionable interventions and accountable champions.
This planning includes focused support for the 16 learners who did not pass. Some will be supported through the Second Chance Matric Programme, which will run again at Bulungula College in 2026, while others will be guided toward alternative pathways to ensure no learner is left without direction.
Amid the challenges of this past year, there were also stories of remarkable perseverance and personal success.
One of the most powerful of these stories is that of Zimvo Skosana, one of our oldest learners and the first in her immediate family to obtain a Matric certificate. Her educational journey was anything but easy. She failed a grade, dropped out during the COVID-19 pandemic, and took a gap year. When she returned to school, she failed again. It was then that she made the courageous decision to start over at Bulungula College in Grade 11. With the school’s support and her strong determination, she rose to the top of her class. That same focus and resilience carried into her Matric year, where she became BC’s 2025 top achiever — earning a Bachelor’s pass with two distinctions.
Zimvo’s story is a powerful reminder of what is possible when young people are given real opportunities and support. In most other schools, a learner with her history would have likely been turned away. But Bulungula College was founded on the principle of providing all learners with access to quality education, regardless of academic background. We are proud to be a school that keeps its doors open — and Zimvo’s success shows how this inclusive approach creates an environment where learners can rebuild confidence, grow, and excel.
This year tested our systems, our staff, and our learners. But it has also reaffirmed our values and our commitment to quality education for all young people.
We are proud of this graduating class. We stand beside those who will try again. And we move forward together. Phambili!