Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube have slugged it out again over the matric pass rate and strengthening the foundation phase.

This took place on X on Thursday, days after Gwarube announced the National Education and Training Council that will advise her on key education policies and reforms, among other things.

It was the third time the pair butted heads on the topic this year since the release of the matric results.

Maimane was the first to throw the punch at Gwarube, accusing her of misleading South Africa.

“In an education system, you cannot choose to focus on one cohort,” he said.

He took issue with Gwarube’s statement about “obsession” with matric results.

Maimane stated the need for effective Early Childhood Development (ECD), asserting that “we cannot allow the minister to hide behind the narrative that she is focused on ECD”.

He also said the department has stated that it was focusing on ECD, something he described as dodging accountability.

“They are abandoning the promise to introduce robotics and computer science across schools in South Africa. This is a backwards move when the world is in the middle of an Artificial Intelligence race.”

Maimane, who previously stated that the so-called 30% pass rate in matric was not a true reflection of the actual results, said if Gwarube was serious about measuring the performance of her department, all passes must be measured at the 50% pass mark standard.

“That way, in January, we will know which schools need to have urgent interventions. Let’s stop pretending like the education system is operating normally,” he said, adding that there was a crisis that needed leadership that recognised that crisis and acted accordingly.

In response, Gwarube said any country that performed well in its education system looked at the system in its entirety and ensured that the system was strong from the very foundations until Further Education and Training (FET) and beyond.

“The obsession I am referring to is the focus on matric results as the ‘only’ marker of success in a whole system. We do this at the expense of a solid foundation of schooling, leaving scores of our learners unable to read with comprehension,” she said.

Gwarube insisted on the need for children from Grade R to 10 years old to be able to read for meaning, be able to count, and develop cognitively.

“Fiddling with pass marks in high school doesn’t deal with the root cause. I am saying: let’s put as much stock on the foundations of learning as we do on those who exit the system.”

On the issue of the pass mark, Gwarube asked whether Maimane read the work the National Education and Training Council will do, saying it will look at progression requirements and whether they correspond with international benchmarks.

She said she was not side-stepping the matter, but had “repeatedly” told Maimane in parliamentary questions and in Parliament.

“By all means, hold me to account, but don’t accuse me of trying to mislead South Africans about the state of their education system. They don’t need me to paint a rosy picture for them.”

Gwarube said South Africans know the education challenges, and she was working hard to fix them, led by evidence.

“Anyway, give me a ring and we will run through this again,” she concluded.

But, Maimane then expressed his disappointment that Gwarube has spent the last year putting plaster on a burst pipe.

“Our education system is not fit for purpose; nothing has changed in the classrooms for South Africa.”

He lamented last year’s “tragedy” in the matric results when 251,488 candidates wrote mathematics; only 30% of them achieved 50% or more.

Maimane also said 81% of Grade 4 learners are failing to read. “That’s a crisis that requires urgent attention and intervention. We need urgent action across the board.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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