Chairperson, maybe this question is written in the language of the Old Testament because I don't know why it has been asked to me. I think it should have been asked to my colleague in Basic Education. But I suppose you all have to report to your constituencies that you've asked all the Ministers questions.
In 2008, the total number of students who passed with 50% or more, which is the minimum requirement for eligibility for degree studies in higher education and have done maths and/or maths literacy in the National Senior Certificate since its introduction in 2008, was 62 388 for maths and 100 186 for maths literacy.
All first-year university students would have passed either Maths or Maths Literacy at a level in the National Senior Certificate in terms of the aggregates that would have allowed them to enter university. Nevertheless, this does not mean that we would not like to see the deepening of quality in numeracy from the early years of schooling, as my colleague the Minister of Basic Education indicated earlier. Poor performance in numeracy is a challenge that is being addressed across the education system.
It must be noted that because of our constitutional commitment to education as a basic right, South Africa has high levels of enrolment in secondary education in contrast to many countries for which access to secondary education is a privilege reserved for a successful minority. Thus, despite some problems with retention in secondary schools, the levels of completion from secondary schools in South Africa are high relative to other economically comparative countries. Thank you.