For the first time, the Department of Basic Education has published a full breakdown on subject pass levels in its 2017 School Subject Report. While there are some specific pass conditions for subjects such as Home Language, First Additional Language and Mathematics, at South Africa’s current ‘elementary pass’ barrier of 30%, the 2017 matric class passed with a rate of 75.1%. If the pass barrier was 40%, the pass rate would drop to around 54%, and If the pass barrier was 50%, the pass rate would drop to around 33%. If South Africa had to meet the 60% pass barrier seen in some other countries, only 16% of matrics would have made the cut. (http://bit.ly/2tsG4ul)