Matric maths and science numbers remain dismally low

The class of 2023 recorded the highest matric pass rate since at least 2009. But fewer learners are finishing school and only a third wrote maths.

Outlier Insights is a new project that makes it easy to view and interrogate datasets – such as 13 years of South African matric results.

No early start for 40% of the country’s young children.

This year’s matric results show that half of the the grade 12s in no-fee schools failed maths

The R4.47-billion Space Infrastructure Hub will see satellites built for earth observation and science missions to supply space weather forecasts, satellite navigation and land-mapping.

The Department of Basic Education now appears to want to remove the deadlines altogether

The number of schools where no Grade 12s sat the final maths exams doubled since 2013.

Only a small portion of South Africa’s 2021 matrics took mathematics and physical sciences, and far fewer passed with over 60%.

But learners at fee paying schools are much more likely to get a bachelor pass than the 70% of kids who attend the no-fee schools.

Grade 12s did not drop out of the system because of Covid-19, in fact more pupils wrote the exams, and the pass rate improved on 2020’s.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has widely been hailed as a chance for South Africa to unlock new opportunities and increase economic growth. But with declining interest and performance in maths and science at school SA risks being left behind.

How many schools in South Africa have access to the internet? Using data from a number of different sources, including official documents and Parliamentary presentations, we tried to establish exactly how many schools are connected. We then used that data to visualise the change in internet connectivity in schools from 2014 to  2019.