The decline in the National Senior Certificate NSC matric maths pass rate is not the result of a sudden collapse in teaching quality, but the outcome of long-standing weaknesses in the schooling system that begin in the early grades, say education experts.
In 2025, the maths pass rate declined from 69 to 64. The number of distinctions attained for the subject followed a similar pattern, falling sharply from 9 752 in 2024 to 4 897 in 2025.
This comes against the backdrop of low matric maths participation. Of the 901 790 matric candidates, only 34 took up maths, while most opted for mathematics literacy.
