Maths Literacy and 30% pass rate causing a skills crisis

For South Africa to become competitive in a global technology economy, major intervention is needed in the country’s basic education system.

“Teaching our kids Maths Literacy and allowing them to pass at 30% doesn’t help drive the agenda of digital and economic inclusion,” says Busi Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership South Africa.

Mavuso spoke on a panel at a media event for the Our Digital Horizons report, produced by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) in partnership with Naspers.

The report found, among other things, that South Africa must double its current level of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates to become globally competitive in the digital platform economy.

Citing a World Economic Forum article produced by Statista, the report said STEM graduates make up only 18% of the total in South Africa.

This figure exceeds 30% in technology leaders like India, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea.

“I really hope that, from a government perspective, we’re looking at addressing the standards and quality of basic education,” Mavuso said.

Mavuso echoed a sentiment expressed by the event’s programme director, businessman Andile Khumalo.

“We don’t have an unemployment problem. We have an unemployability problem,” Khumalo said.

South Africa’s unemployment has reached crisis levels, with Stats SA most recently reporting that the portion of the population without work has risen to 33.5%.

Under the expanded definition of unemployment, which includes discouraged jobseekers, the figure is 42.6%.

Bloomberg has reported that South Africa’s unemployment figure is the highest among all the countries it tracks.

Youth unemployment has also reached desperate levels in South Africa. The percentage of people aged 15–34 who are unemployed and not in education or training has reached 35.2%.

Mavuso and Khumalo argue that these figures are so high because job seekers have not been equipped with the skills to be employed in the formal sector.

“It can’t be right that in South Africa today, we still have schools that don’t teach maths and science because they don’t have maths and science teachers,” said Mavuso.

“We’re never going to be able to get that 18% STEM to 30% if you don’t actually address that,” she added.

“If there’s one big takeout from this report, it’s really trying to ensure that our education system responds to where the country, the global economy, the world is going.”

The Department of Basic Education has previously hit back at criticism of South Africa’s 30% matric pass mark, saying it’s an oversimplification of how it really works.

“If you get 30% in all the subjects, then you don’t pass. That’s why we are saying the 30% is not a pass,” basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said.

“It’s conditional… if you look at the complex requirements that are there for everyone to enable them to pass at different levels.”

Mahlanga explained that South Africa has three levels of matric pass: bachelor’s, diploma, and higher certificate.

• For a bachelor’s pass, matriculants need at least 50% in four subjects. They can still pass with 40% in two subjects and 30% in one subject. This is supposed to grant entry into research universities.
• To get a diploma pass, school students must pass four subjects at 40%. The others can be at 30%. This is supposed to grant entry into technical universities and colleges.
• At higher certificate level, matrics pass if they achieve 40% in three subjects, so long as the others are at least 30%.

Mhlanga said South African matriculants are not only obtaining entry into local universities, but also higher education institutions around the world.

“The standard of education here equips the young person to go anywhere in the world,” stated Mhlanga.