Despite support from other minority parties in parliament, Maimane’s proposal for an increased matric pass mark has been rejected.
Members of Parliament voted against the motion brought by the Build One SA leader, which sought to reassess the 30% pass mark threshold for Grade 12 learners.
Despite significant support from other opposition parties, the proposal for greater reforms in basic education was rejected by both the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The vote took place on Tuesday, December 2nd. According to reports, 119 members of parliament (MPs) voted against the motion, while 87 voted in favour.
In his motion, Maimane noted that the Department of Basic Education continues to maintain a minimum pass requirement of 30% in certain Grade 12 subjects, despite public concern that this low threshold entrenches mediocrity and fails to prepare learners for higher education or the job market.
Maimane said, “The low 30% pass mark has been set up by the education authorities to push up the pass rate numbers. He also added that the debate on his motion was an important one because young people can prove to do better if they receive the proper Early Childhood Development and primary school education”.
In the age of machine learning and in the race for artificial general intelligence we cannot keep telling any child that they will make it anywhere with 30% on a piece of paper!
Even a TVET needs you to have theoretical competence and core knowledge at over 50%. pic.twitter.com/uduwMc3jyo
— Mmusi Maimane MP (@MmusiMaimane) December 3, 2025
Days before the vote, the Build One SA leader had argued that there was an urgent need for a strategic reevaluation of educational standards, advocating for a gradual increase of the pass mark to 50%. He believes this move will promote genuine academic excellence and accountability among educators.
Although the motion fell away this time around, a similar motion can be tabled again in the future.
Also see: MPs set to vote on abolishing 30% pass mark for matriculants
