The DA called on Minister Angie Motshekga to explain her unilateral decision to reduce the maths pass mark from 40% to 20%.
The national Department of Basic Education issued a statement instructing all schools to promote learners in Grade 7, 8 and 9 who achieve only 20% for Maths in 2016.
The statement said that the urgency of issuing the Circular arose from reports received from school principals and provincial officials across the country alerting the DBE of the extremely poor performance of Senior Phase learners due to the compulsory requirement of learners having to pass Mathematics at 40%.
The statement further explained that this change resulted in raising the pass requirement for Home Language to 50% and including Mathematics as a compulsory pass requirement at 40%.
This implies that it is compulsory for a learner to pass two languages, one of which is the Home Language and must pass Mathematics, in order to be promoted
Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, wrote to Motshekga asking her to explain why such a 'special condonation' for mathematics was deemed necessary and how many Grade 7, 8 and 9 learners fall between the 20% and 40% mathematics mark.
He also asked whether or not a discussion was held before the decision was taken, if this “special condonation” is permanent and why she waited until the end of the year to introduce such measures.
Davis added, “There may be good reason, in some cases, to exempt certain learners from passing mathematics at the required level. But a sweeping change to the mathematics pass requirements is not the answer because it removes incentives for educators and learners to do well in the subject.”
"Indeed, the special condonation is completely at odds with the National Development Plan, which states that “90 percent of learners in grades 3, 6 and 9 must achieve 50 percent or more” in mathematics," Davis noted.
The announcement comes a week after the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ranked South Africa second-last in maths Grade 8, and can only be interpreted as a signal that maths education is not being taken seriously by the national government.
"It is common cause that far too few learners emerge from school numerate enough to compete in global knowledge economy. Instead of giving learners a free pass, we should be equipping learners to succeed in mathematics," Davis concluded.
