South Africa is falling behind. Around the world, countries that want to grow and stay competitive are investing heavily in the skills of their people. India, China and Singapore have shown how a strong focus on maths, science, technology and problem-solving can transform economies, build new industries and even supply skills to other nations.
Artificial intelligence is accelerating this shift. Countries with strong STEM foundations are moving ahead quickly. Those without them risk being left out of the new global economy.
Our education system is not preparing young people for this reality. The debate over the 30% matric pass mark makes this clear. Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane’s call for a higher benchmark was rejected in Parliament this week, but what the debate really exposes is how low our expectations have become.
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At a time when the world is demanding higher skills and deeper knowledge, South Africa is still arguing about the minimum threshold for a pass. Witness readers have shown strong support for raising the bar. The overwhelming majority of respondents in a survey conducted by the newspaper want the pass mark increased to 50%.
Only a handful believe the 30% benchmark should remain. Their message is clear: Our children deserve better, and our country needs higher standards if we want to compete. Experts, however, warn that raising the pass mark alone will not fix the problem.
The foundations — literacy, numeracy, early-grade learning and quality teaching — are too weak. Without addressing these, a higher benchmark may simply widen the gap for children already struggling. As Professor Brahm Fleisch says, pupils cannot succeed later if the basics are broken at the start.
Even so, the sentiment from our readers reflects a growing public frustration: Gradual change is no longer enough. South Africa needs a serious overhaul of its educational framework, one that places STEM, digital readiness and AI-era skills at its core. If we fail to act with urgency, we risk losing our competitive edge in Africa and slipping further down the global ladder.
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