Is Grade 13 actually happening for South Africa?
News of Grade 13 coming to SA schools made the rounds over the weekend, causing panic and outrage among netizens across the country.
South Africans were left in shock this weekend, clutching their school reports in disbelief, as rumours of Grade 13 being introduced started circulating on social media.
Another year of high school? Matrics barely survived the first 12. Who in their right mind would want to voluntarily stick around for more?
Thankfully, it’s all fake news. Although, how did this madness begin?
It all began when TikTok creator @garfieldzar confidently declared, “High school no longer ends in Grade 12. It now finishes in Grade 13.”
The source of this shocking revelation? A dodgy Google search result and, of course, a Facebook page (because, as we all know, that's where the most trustworthy government announcements are made).
@garfieldzar Grade 13😭 #greenscreen #southafricatiktok #fyp ♬ Dust Collector - ybg lucas
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South Africans rushed to the comments section in panic, trying to process the horror.
Could it be true?
Would there be more maths?
Would the nightmares of LO presentations never end?
Fortunately, the South African Department of Basic Education swiftly stepped in to douse the flames before the entire country began planning mass protests outside schools.
Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga wasted no time shutting it down as “fake news”.
He added, “If it is not on my social media handles, then it does not exist.”
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube also weighed in, not only denying the claims but also taking the opportunity to educate netizens on how to spot fake news. Apparently, some of us still think random screenshots equal real journalism.
Please don’t fall for fake news. It can be avoided by only reading/ listening out for announcements from legitimate platforms.
— Siviwe Gwarube (@Siviwe_G) February 23, 2025
A key telltale for instance:
1) The page peddling the fake news isn’t verified (little grey tick).
2) The language is poor.
3) An announcement of… https://t.co/PajAwArHTY
Even comedian and radio host Dan Corder jumped into the conversation, making a TikTok video shutting down the rumours. He pointed out the obvious – no credible news source had reported on it.
And honestly? If it’s not breaking news on eNCA or SABC, it’s probably just another case of the internet being the internet.
@dancorder No Grade 13 #tiktoksouthafrica #southafrica #fyp ♬ original sound - Dan Corder
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Sadly, these days fake news spreads faster than load-shedding schedules. So next time you see a wild claim, fact-check first and panic later.
Also – maybe (just maybe) don’t believe everything you read on Facebook.
Now, let’s all take a deep breath and relax. Grade 12 is still the final boss. For now.
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