Highest Grade 3 annual systemic test results ever!
11 February 2026 – Statement by Minister David Maynier, Minister of Education Western Cape
We have made a massive investment into early learning in the Western Cape through our #BackOnTrack programme, and it is paying off.
Our Grade 3 learners have now achieved their highest annual systemic test results for Mathematics and Language ever!
Since 2021, our Grade 3 learners’ Mathematics pass rate has increased by 17.7 percentage points, from 44.3% to 62.0%.
The Grade 3 learners’ Language pass rate has increased by 14.3 percentage points, from 36.9% to 51.2%.
These pass rates exceed pre-Covid 19 pandemic levels, and are the highest pass rates recorded since this test format was implemented.
This means more children in our province can read and calculate effectively than ever before, which gives them a better chance of succeeding in higher grades and in their post-school careers.
We piloted a structured language programme for 50 schools in 2021, and rolled out across all primary schools by 2024. Teachers in Grades 1 to 3 were trained in the science of reading, and teacher and learner support materials were provided for all schools.
And we added extra time for Reading and Mathematics within the current school day for all learners in Grades 1 to 3.
In 2025, over 91 000 Grade 3 learners wrote the independently administered annual systemic tests for Mathematics and Language.
These tests produce data vital to understanding which skills our learners are mastering, and which areas need additional work.
Schools receive detailed reports that they can use to adapt their teaching and support for their learners.
These results would not have been possible without our incredible Foundation Phase teachers. You have shown up in your numbers for additional training, and made excellent use of the support we have provided. Thank you for the work that you do every day to ensure that your learners are on the right track!
But there is still more work to be done, and we need to drive our scores up even further.
So we will continue to invest in these grades, through the addition of a structured numeracy programme and additional measures to monitor and evaluate progress in each grade this year. Our language programme also continues, with novice teachers receiving training in the science of reading.
Working together, we will build a strong foundation for our children here in the Western Cape!
More details about our new Foundation Phase interventions in 2026:
Media Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to Minister David Maynier
Western Cape Ministry of Education
Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za