Raising the matric pass mark: a divided education landscape

SOUTH Africa’s long-standing 30% matric pass benchmark has once again sparked national debate, following a parliamentary motion by Build One South Africa (Bosa) to raise the minimum requirement to 50%.

Last week, the National Assembly rejected a motion to raise the minimum pass mark for matric subjects from 30% to 50%. The motion, tabled by Bosa under leader Mmusi Maimane, was rejected. 

Maimane said the current low minimum mark entrenched mediocrity, undermined the credibility of the school system, and left young people ill-prepared for tertiary education or a competitive job market.

The ANC and the DA opposed the reform, while a coalition of opposition parties, including the EFF, IFP and MK Party supported the motion. 

Education experts, pupils and university students shared their views on whether the current threshold supported or harmed the education system.

Experts

- Educational activist Hendrick Makaneta said Maimane’s concern “makes sense". 

“Such a low benchmark can send the message that pupils do not need strong skills to finish school. Over time, this can weaken educational quality and leave many learners unprepared for life after matric." 

He said while pupils do not necessarily pass all their subjects with a 30% overall mark, the public focus on the 30% minimum created an impression that more pupils are achieving success than was actually the case. 

"Many of those who pass still lack the competence needed for further study, which can limit their opportunities. This means the low threshold hides problems in the system and can be damaging for young people’s futures.”

He cautioned that raising the pass mark without fixing systemic inequalities would worsen failure rates.

“A higher pass mark could improve the academic strength of pupils entering university. This might also give employers more confidence in the matric certificate. However, raising the pass mark without fixing problems like poor teaching and lack of resources would push many more pupils into failure. Simply moving the requirement to 50% for all subjects is not ideal if the causes of poor performance are not addressed. Raising the mark can only work if the challenges of inequality and lack of resources are properly addressed.”

- Professor Jonathan Jansen, from Stellenbosch University, rejected abolishing the 30% pass benchmark, describing Bosa's proposal as “the wrong vehicle for a noble goal”. 

“My friend Mmusi Maimane needs to get off this high horse and saddle another one,” he remarked.

Drawing from his own experience teaching high school science, Jansen said increasing the pass mark to 50% would cause widespread failure.

“Having taught high school physical science in the past 22 months, three-quarters of my Grade 10 class would fail if the pass mark was 50%. These children are smart, dedicated and determined but they are also products of a system that failed them since the foundation years.”

He stressed that the real crisis lies in the early schooling years.

“You cannot fix the basic problems of the school system by tinkering with the 30% pass rate. The 30% argument amounts to cheap political shots. There are political ideals and there is the reality of our classrooms. We need to get these two things to meet and the way to do that is not idle rhetoric but a clearer understanding of why the school system is in trouble in the first place."  

Jansen said any meaningful reform must begin with literacy, numeracy and teacher capacity in the foundation phase.

Pupils

- Jordan Naidoo, a Grade 11 pupil, said: “A 30% pass mark shows that a child understands part of the work. The 30% pass mark is too low, but it is achievable. If the pass mark is increased to 50%, then more children will fail."  

- Nehali Seebran, a Grade 9 pupil, said: “A 30% pass shows we are not prepared for university and it inevitably affects our opportunities. But raising the pass mark too fast would be unfair to pupils who do not have proper resources. So I would say yes in the future, but not immediately.”

- Trishna Ramsunder, also in Grade 9, said: "Many of us already feel stressed, so a higher pass mark without extra help may overwhelm pupils who are battling academically. I have seen people move to the next grade but are still not confident with the work, so the pass rate does not always reflect real understanding.”

- Another Grade 9 pupil, Jizelle Paige Naidoo said: “A 30% mark feels like a survival mark, not comprehension. Raising the benchmark would only be fair if schools improve resources and support. Without improving the system, raising the pass mark now would be unfair to pupils who already face challenges." 

Students

- Deenisha Govender, studying criminology at Unisa, said no company or university would necessarily want to employ or enrol someone with low marks. 

"Pass rates that are artificially inflated affect university students who arrive unprepared. It could make students believe they did well and are selected in universities, when they are actually unprepared." 

- Shenae Moodley, an actuarial science student at the University of Pretoria, described the 30% benchmark as a symptom of systemic inequality.

“It creates a low minimum standard. The gap between what you need to pass matric and what is expected at university is huge. It creates a low minimum standard, and because schools often teach toward the pass benchmark, it can reduce the pressure on the system to improve teaching quality, resources, and academic support." 

- Keyuren Maharaj, studying mechanical engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, added: “A 30% pass mark lowers the bar for an entire generation. It teaches young people that mediocrity is enough in a world that demands excellence.  

He said one could not build excellence on a collapsing base. 

"You can’t fix education at matric level when the system collapses in Grade 3. Raising the pass mark to 50% should be part of a bigger national reset, one that rebuilds trust in the schooling system." 

- Tashmeer Chetty, a UKZN literature and drama student, said: "A benchmark of 30% is attractive, but the actual issue arises when the kids enter the tertiary education field where the benchmark has always been 50%. Being accustomed to the low pass results in a shocking slap of reality. We need to gradually introduce a challenge to pupils and start the flame of curiosity and eagerness to learn more. I understand concern but change starts with small steps." 

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