Grade 12 pass rates have shown steady increases in the last decade – an increase from 32.6% in 2001 up to 49.8% in 2002 in the North West Province for example. What’s more, the number of dysfunctional schools has decreased from 91 in 2001 to 59 in 2002. However, despite an increase in the pass rate, in 2000 the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) gave South African Grade 8 learners an average score of 28% as opposed to an overall average of 49% for 41 countries. What’s more, of the 258 323 Grade 12 learners who sat for the 2003 final mathematics examination, only 23 412 achieved a higher-grade pass. Similarly, of the 151 971 learners who sat for the science examination only 26 067 passed on the higher grade.