As South African schools welcome over 15 million learner this January, latest research reveals a concerning disparity between educational aspirations and economic realities, with only 54% of students completing matric and fewer advancing to tertiary education. Picture: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
As the new school year begins this week with over 15 million South African children heading back to classrooms, a study has highlighted the failings in the country’s education system, which shows that just 54% of learners pass matric in the 12 year period.
A recent study by Eighty20, a consumer analytics and research firm, highlights both the achievements and challenges in South Africa’s education sector, drawing a complex picture of the country’s future workforce.
According to the data, the journey from primary school to matriculation remains fraught with hurdles, and despite a stable influx of around 1.35 million new learners each year since 2016, only 65 out of every 100 are expected to reach their matric year, with just 54 successfully passing.
This statistic casts a shadow over the country's educational system, which boasts the highest budget allocation for 2023/4 at R309.5 million, accounting for 14% of the total national budget.
The report also sheds light on the disparities within provincial education systems.
In 2022, of the 991,000 people entering their matriculation year, 80.1% passed matric, up 3.7% from the previous year.
The Free State continued to be the top performing province at 88.5%, with encouraging improvements for some of the historically poorly performing provinces of KZN, Eastern Cape and Limpopo.
Matric results took a significant dip during Covid, with 2020 results dropping from 81.3% in 2019 to 76.2% in 2020.
The report noted that it was important to look at the matric pass rates in light of dropout rates. The Northern Cape and Free State had the highest dropout rates of approximately 41% each, while the Western Cape’s dropout rate was best at 27.6% in 2022.
Internationally, South Africa's position in education and training lags behind its BRICS counterparts, ranking 89th out of 148 countries, trailing behind the Russian Federation, China, and Brazil. This ranking highlights the urgent need for systemic improvements.
The study spotlights the importance of tertiary education for employment prospects. While a matric certificate increases employability, a university degree significantly enhances life prospects, with 75% of degree-holders finding employment, compared to less than half of those with only matric.
Particularly concerning is the low rate of students passing mathematics, a crucial subject for careers in engineering, nursing, and technology.
Of the 1.05 million that were in Grade 10 in 2020, 68% wrote their matric examinations in 2022. Of those writing matric, 38% wrote maths (and 55% passed). This means that just one in seven ended up with a matric pass in maths.
Andrew Fulton, director at Eighty20, stresses the importance of bridging the gap between education and employability.
"With a staggering 58% unemployment rate among the 10.2 million youth aged 15 to 24, addressing this through better education, particularly in maths, science, and technology, is vital for our country's future," he said.
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