MEDIA RELEASE
2025-12-04
SUMMARY: The Labour Party of South Africa (Labour Party) advocates for a deep reform of the education system. Commenting on the Parliament’s voting session, and ultimate rejection, following the motion to scrap the 30% pass mark, the Party critiques the low pass threshold on certain subjects for lacking academic ambition, poor foundational learning outcomes, and inadequate investment in infrastructure which have contributed to ongoing challenges.
On 02 December 2025, the Parliament sat to vote on the tabled motion to scrap the 30% matric pass rate. This follows the rigorous debate on the issue on 28 November 2025.
The African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) voted against the motion, ultimately rejecting the motion to have the matric pass mark increased from 30% to 50%.
“The GNU is against the betterment of South Africans. How can the government be so determined to keep the performance ability of South Africans so mediocre?”, speculated the interim President of the Labour Party Joseph Mathunjwa.
It is recorded that 119 Members of Parliament (including FF Plus) voted against the motion, while 87 voted in favour of the motion.
The issue remains the same. If the government does not prioritise the needs of South Africans now for a sustainable future, the issue of pass marks will continue to be revisited every few years.
“This is not the first time I criticise the education system of South Africa, and I will continue until the change that is made is genuine and sustainable” , stated Mathunjwa.
Before the pass mark (for some subjects) was changed to 30%, it is speculated that the idea influencing the change was to assist the overall national matriculant pass rate which ranged from 47.4% – 73.3% between the years 1995 and 2008.
According to various sources including the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, there has been a steady increase in the matric pass rate ranging from 60.6% – 87.3% from 2008 to date. This marks the highest ever recorded matric pass rate.The change to the 30% pass rate on select subjects followed the overhauling of the then curriculum i.e. Senior Certificate, in favour of the National Senior Certificate curriculum (NSC) which was rolled out in 2008.
Now over ten (10) years after this change, the failure of governance is being exposed.
The competitiveness in entry to South Africa universities is extremely high this is evident as marked by the volumes of students almost every start of the academic year.
The reality is that tens of thousands of applications are lodged into universities for only a few thousands of spots for first year.
“The competitiveness in universities is not a good thing for us. It shows a lack of forward-thinking governance and their failure to invest in infrastructure. It is also the reflection of the open-gates consequences of having made the pass mark 30%” , noted Mathunjwa.
Noteworthily, the issue of South Africa’s education system is not just found in matric. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has expressed concern for the alarming 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa who cannot read for meaning.
The issues with the education system are systemic and require concerted efforts, as opposed to superficial temporary solutions.
“I don’t believe that the government understands or even cares as to what is at stake. The future of children and the sovereignty of our country”, Mathunjwa stated.
“We are not surprised that the GNU led the rejection of the motion. However, we will continue to fight for an education system that relates to our resources and produces minds that can compete in the global market”, concluded Mathunjwa.
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