The maths and science pass rate for matriculants improved slightly in 2016, but the quality of passes is still in question. The 51.1% maths pass rate for 2016 was an improvement on the 49.1% achieved in 2015. The science pass rate also improved, from 58.6% in 2015 to 62% — in 2016. In both subjects males had better pass rates than females. In maths, 89,119 pupils passed compared with the 84,297 who passed in 2015, while 1,699 more pupils passed science in 2016 than in 2015. SA’s maths literacy pass rates took a slight knock in 2016, dipping to 71.3% from 71.4% in 2015, which University of the Witwatersrand maths lecturer Jacques du Plessis said paints a bleak picture. "The bottom line is maths has not really moved and maths literacy has declined so we need to pay more attention there," he said. At the 2016 maths indaba, the Department of Basic Education proposed modelling the South African curriculum on those of Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and Taiwan. Research has shown...
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