Grade Nine is the weak link in the education system, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Thursday.

Grade Nine showed no movement from the 43% scored in language last year, with a drop of 2% for the first additional language, she said in Pretoria.

"In mathematics, the national average is 14%, compared to 13% in 2012."

Motshekga was speaking at the release of the annual national assessment (ANA) results for 2013.

According to the ANA, the national average performance for literacy in Grade One improved by 2% to 60%, but the numeracy level dropped by 8% to 60%.

The Grade Two average performance was up 2% to 57% as was the numeracy level, at 59%.

Grade Three literacy was down by 1% at 51%, but numeracy was up by 12% to 53%. The Grade Four numeracy level was unchanged at 37%.

In Grade Five, numeracy increased by 3% to 33%, home language by 6% to 46%, first additional language by 7% to 37%, and numeracy by 3% to 33%.

The biggest improvement was shown in Grade Six, where the home language level was up 16% to 59%, first additional language 10% to 46%, and mathematics 12% to 39%.

Motshekga said the process was influencing and driving improvements in performance.

The National Teachers' Union welcomed the results, but expressed disappointment that not all individual marks were considered.

Deputy president Allen Thompson said this was because some provincial departments of education had failed to submit marks on time.

"This shows that the provincial education department might not be considering the ANA assessment as seriously as all of us do."

He called on the department to take the ANA seriously and to grant it the same status as the matric examination.

This was the only available instrument to determine the failure or success of the education system.

"This will alleviate the unnecessary surprises during the final year of the schooling of learners," he said.