South Africa’s Cabinet praised the smooth start of the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams while warning about a rise in school bullying. Nearly 900,000 full-time and part-time candidates are writing from Oct. 21 to Nov. 27, with the Department of Basic Education commended for security and logistics. On day one, 12,736 learners completed the Computer Applications Technology practical. Gauteng has more than 192,000 candidates and the Western Cape has more than 77,000. Results are due in January 2026, and families were urged to support students with calm study spaces and steady routines.
Cabinet voiced alarm over bullying reports and called for swift action by schools and communities. Eight pupils at Milnerton High School in Cape Town were suspended after a video showed a racial attack, while other incidents were logged in Boksburg and Pretoria. Officials cited 548 cases reported in the first month of the 2025 school year and 69 in the Western Cape in the first half of the year. Schools were reminded to apply the National School Safety Framework and learner codes of conduct and to investigate reports promptly to protect students.
Cabinet voiced alarm over bullying reports and called for swift action by schools and communities. Eight pupils at Milnerton High School in Cape Town were suspended after a video showed a racial attack, while other incidents were logged in Boksburg and Pretoria. Officials cited 548 cases reported in the first month of the 2025 school year and 69 in the Western Cape in the first half of the year. Schools were reminded to apply the National School Safety Framework and learner codes of conduct and to investigate reports promptly to protect students.
