Rustenburg - South Africa's pass mark for the high school ending matric examination must be increased to 50 percent from 30 percent, the Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) said on Friday.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced on Thursday that the matric class of 2018 had achieved an impressive 78.2 percent pass rate compared to 75.1 percent in 2017.
But F4SD leader Mbahare Kekana said the country must stop "celebrating mediocre and sub-standard" results.
"F4SD demands the 50 percent pass (mark) in all subjects," he said, adding that the party also wanted compulsory and universal education, a policeman to be posted at each school and an end to school dropouts.
"F4SD is concerned about approximately 68 percent of learners who drop out every year and disappear within the cracks," Kekana said. "We need to find out where they are going and how to rescue and resuscitate their dreams."
Gauteng province had the best matric results, achieving an 87.9 percent pass rate, followed by Free State with 87.5 percent, Western Cape with 81.5 percent, North West with 81.1 percent, Mpumalanga with 79 percent, KwaZulu-Natal with 76.2 percent, Northern Cape with 73.3 percent and Eastern Cape with 70.6 percent. Limpopo province came last with a 69.4 percent pass rate.