Professor Khumalo's comments follow the Minister of Basic Education’s announcement of the 2025 matric results, which celebrated learner and teacher achievements but also pointed to deeper systemic challenges. “While the Minister’s announcement rightly celebrates the achievements of learners and teachers, it also invites a deeper reflection on what the results reveal about the overall quality of the South African education system,” she says.
Her emphasis is that the quality of education cannot be measured by pass rates alone. “Quality cannot be assessed only through the final pass rate. It must also be measured by how effectively the system supports learners throughout the entire schooling cycle, particularly in key gateway subjects such as Mathematics and Physical Sciences.”
She notes that data from the 2025 cohort raises serious concerns about learner retention. According to the Minister’s address, approximately 778 000 learners were enrolled as full-time Grade 12 candidates, yet significant attrition occurs before this stage, with only about 84% progressing from Grade 10 to Grade 11 and roughly 78% from Grade 11 to Grade 12.
“This pattern indicates that dropout pressure intensifies during the senior secondary phase,” she adds. “There is a clear need for empirical research to establish why learners are exiting the system before reaching Grade 12, particularly during these later years of schooling.”
Professor Khumalo added that reliable evidence is essential to address the problem effectively. “Such evidence is critical to provide scientifically grounded explanations for the retention challenge and to enable stakeholders to design targeted interventions focused on the years where dropout rates increase most sharply,” said Professor Khumalo.
Importance of Foundational Education
Highlighting the importance of sustained participation and progression, she said: “The true test of quality lies not only in pass thresholds, but in sustained learner participation, progression, and success, particularly in Mathematics and Physical Sciences.”
Professor Khumalo stressed that strong foundations are essential if learners are to access future opportunities. “If we are to broaden access to gateway pathways, we must ensure that learners develop strong foundational skills that enable them to succeed in subjects such as Mathematics and Physical Sciences,” she explains.
She also called for earlier and more systematic support for learners. “Early identification of learning challenges, systematic monitoring of learner progress, and timely support interventions are critical,” she said.
“Strengthening learner tracking systems and early warning mechanisms, in collaboration with the Higher Education and Training sector, would allow support to be provided long before Grade 12, when some interventions are often too late.”
Professor Khumalo concluded that meaningful improvement will require coordinated, system-wide action. “The success of learners depends on coordinated action by all stakeholders to ensure that challenges are identified early, appropriate support is provided, and pathways to opportunity remain open,” she added.
“Only through intentional, proactive, system-wide intervention can South Africa strive to enhance quality in its education system.”
This article is the opinion of Professor Samukelisiwe Khumalo, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Mpumalanga. Copyright © UMP.