Social protections including grants, are having a positive effect on the performance of school learners.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube revealed that schools that serve the poorest communities have made significant gains, owing to initiatives such as the National School Nutrition Programme and extra tuition support during the school holidays.

However, she admitted that the performance gap between quintiles remains a concern and has taken an undertaking to redouble efforts to close it.

More than 556 000 learners who are beneficiaries of social grants wrote the 2024 matric exams. That’s almost 13 000 more than in 2023.