With only days remaining before the release of the Class of 2024 matric results, Build One South Africa (BOSA) has launched a petition urging Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube to scrap the minimum pass mark from 30% and increase it to 50%.
The highly anticipated matric results, which will provide an update on how the Class of 2024 performed, will be released on Monday, December 13.
The matric class of 2023 achieved a pass rate of 82.9%, and now all eyes are on how the Class of 2024 will perform.
With just a few days before the release of the results, many learners are anxious about their performance.
In response to that, BOSA has announced the launch of a petition on December 8, calling for the 30% pass mark to be increased to 50%
BOSA’s acting spokesperson Rogers Solomons said the party believes that maintaining a 30% pass mark in South Africa – a country with the highest youth unemployment rate across the world, is detrimental to both the education system and the economy.
“A meagre 30% pass hurts our pupils, the education system, and in the long run the economy,” said Solomons.
The petition launched on the change.org website, argues that a 30% pass mark for subjects at matric level undermines the intellectual capabilities of South Africa's youth and also contributes to mediocrity, low expectations and lack of accountability.
A 30% pass mark undermines the intellect of South Africa's youth and allows for the obfuscation of the basic education crisis; education leaders to escape accountability, and the entrenchment of mediocrity and low expectations
The petition launched on the website of change.org states that
“The 30% pass mark allows for obfuscation of the basic education crisis and enables education leaders to escape accountability,” the petition said.
“The entrenchment of mediocrity and low expectations.”
Solomons said the party calls on Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube to scrap the 30% pass mark and raise it to 50%.
He called on allSouth Africans – including teachers, parents, and students – to rally behind the petition.
“We need to equip young people to compete and win in the global economy,” he said.
“And they can, with quality education. This begins by upping the matric pass mark,” Solomons added.
This is not the first time the party championed for a higher pass mark. In addition, in the past years, civic organisation One Movement SA (OSA) has also called for the matric pass mark to be raised to 50%.
In October 2024, the party’s deputy president Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster wrote to Gwarube in a Parliamentary question, asking when she intends to replace the 30% pass mark with a 50% minimum.
However, in her written response, Gwarube said there were no immediate plans to change the current pass mark.
Gwarube acknowledged the 30% pass mark had raised concerns, but emphasised that any change would require time and expert advice.
Since taking office in June 2024, Gwarube said she focused on understanding the challenges confronting the Basic Education sector, including consulting with provincial MECs, and various stakeholders.
Gwarube said she plans to appoint an advisory council to the necessary reforms in the sector, including strengthening the curriculum and aligning South Africa’s performance with international best practices.
“Any changes of this nature would require time and expert advice,” Gwarube said.
IOL Politics