Fewer Than One-in-Ten School Leavers Passed Maths With a Grade of 50% or Higher

The class of 2025 entered Grade 1 in 2014 as a cohort of roughly 1.2 million children. By the time they reached Grade 12, only about 750 000 sat to write their matric exams.

According to the Department of Basic Education, 746 110 candidates wrote the National Senior Certificate (NSC), also known as matric, in 2025.

Of the 746 110, only 34%, or 254 415 candidates, took mathematics.

Of the 254 415 who did take mathematics in 2025, 64%, or 162 947, passed. Passing here means achieving a grade of 30% or higher.

The number of candidates who passed mathematics with a grade of 50% or higher is 63 813. This means that one in four candidates who wrote mathematics achieved a result greater that 50%, and when compared to the full cohort of candidates who wrote matric, less than one in ten school leavers passed maths with a grade of 50% or higher.

Between 2008 and 2023, roughly 60 000 to 70 000 candidates per year passed mathematics in matric with a grade of 50% or higher. This translates to roughly 6% or 7% of the total student population of each year achieving a basic level of understanding in mathematics.

That is the real benchmark of quality in the South African high school system. And it is one that represents a great betrayal of the vast majority of South Africa’s children, condemning most of them to a life of relative depravation. The celebratory tone around the announcement of the results is therefore quite inappropriate for what they represent about the state of the public education system and the prospects of the country’s school leavers.