Start adding up South Africa’s education crisis

Behind the hype of the matric results – which, miraculously, improve every year – the reality is much less encouraging and should worry everyone about the future of South Africa’s youngsters in an increasingly tech-driven world.

With the celebrations for a matric pass rate at a history high of 88% still echoing, the department of education has revealed to parliament that the pupils are getting worse in the crucial science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects.

There has been a drop in pupils achieving more than 60% in these subjects, while fewer candidates achieved distinctions in mathematics and the physical sciences in 2025 than in 2024.

In those subjects, it must surely be worrying that less than 2% of those sitting the exams get a distinction.

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The department blamed the result on the “migration” of many candidates to mathematical literacy, which is perceived to be easier.

Yet, even there, there were just 2.6% distinctions, down from 2.7% the previous year.

Improving performance in Stem subjects is vital if South Africa is not to see a “second colonisation” by countries that are smarter in tech.

And that improvement has to start right at the beginning – in the foundation phases of learning.

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