Maths is still compulsory, education dept insists
12 July 2017
Johannesburg – The Department of Basic Education has reiterated that it will not be removing Maths for Grades 7 to 9, after several news reports indicated that it would.
"The department has noted with disappointment the misleading media reports regarding the minimum promotion requirements in the schooling system… we are not removing maths at all," the department said in a statement on Wednesday.
The department clarified that pupils who passed all other subjects, but failed Mathematics with a minimum mark of 20%, would be "condoned" and "would thus pass Mathematics and pass the examination as a whole".
The move was initiated after a task team was established in 2009 to investigate poor curriculum implementation in schools.