‘It is not anything new’: Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga defends matric pass mark

With about a week to go before the release of the matric results, Basic Education Minister has defended the pass requirement in SA, saying that it's "not anything new".

This after Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane took to social media earlier this week and criticised the 30% pass requirement.

Maimane called for matric certificates to be issued to those who pass six subjects with 50% or more.

He said anything else was a "deception of South Africans".

"We must reject the notion that 30% is a pass, reject a national results announcement based on that mark and then hold the ministry accountable," he added.

But, speaking to the media during a walkabout in Cosmo City in Johannesburg this week, Motshekga defended the pass requirement.

"Even during my days, there was what we called school-leaving, so you pass at different levels. Universities won't take you if you have less than 50%. It is not anything new now that Maimane is searching for relevance.

"It is something that has always been in the system, even during my time. It is not anything new. Those we want to go to universities need exemption, and universities will take them with exemptions."

Motshekga said other pupils would follow careers that do not require a matric exemption.

The matric results for 2022 are expected to be released on 19 January.

Motshekga's office came under fire for releasing the results so late.

But she explained that the department experienced some "technical issues" along the way.

"We have to make sure that we don't put ourselves under unnecessary pressure, which we have always done in the past.

"There were some technical issues that we had to deal with so we didn't want to rush. We felt that it would be fair to release them (the results) once we dealt with our problems and by the time we release, we would have cleared off all the challenges that were there with last year's matric results."