Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Build One South Africa Movement and organization, has called for the increase of the percentage required to pass matric, from 30% to 50%.
Usually, the pass rate has only been lowered, but Maimane feels the bar needs to be raised in order to benefit South Africa's learners, the quality of education they are receiving, as well as the economy; which he feels is not happening with the pass rate that is currently in place.
Matric Pass Rate
"We must equip our young people to compete and win in the global economy. And they can with quality education. This begins by upping the matric pass mark,” said Maimane.
Maimane created a petition that is vastly making the rounds; it's initial goal of 1,500 signatures had been reached within hours of its launch. More than 3 400 people have signed the petition since then.
As matric results are soon to be released, discussions have flared up on social media regarding Maimane's proposal.
The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, has responded to Maimane's request, stating that context has to be applied. According to the Minister, the overall pass rate is not 30%; instead it is 40% for a home language, 50% for four other subjects and 30% for one subject.
The 30% pass rate, according to Maimane, is an indicator for the Department of Education to "manipulate" marks, in order for a higher percentage of learners who have passed to be reflected onto the Department.
Maimane also stated that is a "protection [of] a weird partnership between unions and the Department", where the assessment of teachers have been rejected and neglected, "because if a teacher capable of passing a child at 30%, why should the teacher work any harder?".
Maimane feels that entire education system needs to be overhauled in order to ensure children are given every opportunity to compete in a future economy.
“Our biggest challenge is education. To fix our education system, we must have motivated, qualified and ambitious teachers in every classroom. We must end the 30% pass mark syndrome,” he said. The goal to introduce the 50% pass rate instead of 30% will have to be implemented in stages over time, stated Maimane, not immediately.
Maimane says he would like for all South African learners to obtain a Bachelor's Pass in matric with the aforementioned combination of marks, but the reality is that Bachelor's Passes only constitute about 20% of matriculants.
"In the [majority], the pass mark they will announce in the next couple of days will be based on the fact that many of the students have to pass most of their subjects at 40% and can pass at 30%. Now in what universe would you say a child is proficient in any subject at 30%? It is a dim view on our children and is setting them up, truly, for unemployment in our country," explained Maimane.
Youth unemployment is one of the many issues plaguing South Africa's future, and only seems to get worse, despite the launching of various government initiatives and collaborations.
Not only does Maimane want the quality of education to improve, but also the dedication of learners, particularly in crucial subjects such as Science, Technology, Mathematics and English; the number should improve progressively as we head into a digital and technological era.
"When we have learners who cannot code, who cannot do basic arithmetic, you are asking for young people in South Africa not only to be unemployed in the country, but [also] globally non-competitive," elaborated Maimane.
