Build One SA (Bosa) has expressed disappointment after parliament rejected its motion to increase the matric pass mark from 30% to 50%.
The motion was defeated by 190 votes to 87, with the ANC, DA, PA, FF Plus and Al Jama-ah voting to retain the current framework. The EFF, IFP and MK Party were among parties that supported Bosa’s proposal.
“These parties sold out the future of South Africa’s young people, telling them that low standards and mediocrity is fine, in turn setting millions up for a life of unemployment,” spokesperson Roger Solomons said.
Solomon described the 30% pass mark as “modern-day Bantu education”.
“It is a policy that entrenches low expectations and masks systemic failure. By defending this standard, these parties have chosen to protect an illusion of success instead of confronting the crisis in our education system.”
Bosa leader Mmusi Maimane said the country fought a significant battle against apartheid to achieve a unified education system, emphasising that the standard shouldn’t be so low.
“We managed to achieve access to education, but what we didn’t want is an education system that lowers the standard,” Maimane said. “We wanted an education system that will ensure South Africans can compete with anyone in the world.”
He lamented the present situation, saying, “But when we sit here today, the government has insisted on defending a policy where they are saying a young person can be proficient in a subject at 30%.”
Maimane suggested the government was afraid to increase the pass rate because it would negatively affect the overall matric pass rate figures.
“It tells a story about the fact that the protection of the 30% is to beef up this fictitious matric number. It also tells you that the majority of our learners aren’t able to pass with a matric that allows them to go compete and enter university.
“I am pained by that. I believe in our young people. I think they’re great and they can do better.”
Maimane acknowledged that the 30% pass mark does not represent the overall requirement for the National Senior Certificate, as pupils must achieve 40% in their home language and two other subjects, as well as 30% in three additional subjects.
He said many foundational issues needed to be fixed in the education system to elevate standards, including the capacity of teachers, proper infrastructure and other systemic problems.
He stressed that a 50% pass mark was crucial to allow young people to compete in the global education and workforce.
“If you pass young people with 50%, they can compete in university spaces. And not all universities are local; there are international universities, online courses. Another reason is [it increases] choice for them to find work.”
Maimane emphasised that the issue was personal to him.
“I would never accept my child coming home with a 30% pass mark. Why are we accepting it with any other child in this country?
“We have to ask better of ourselves. We have to build and make sure that a young person at school is able to compete. We have to ensure they go to school in decent infrastructure. We have to ensure that a young person can be competent in this digital economy.”
TimesLIVE
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