Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande said on Thursday he was not attempting to lower standards by questioning the matric exemption system.

"We don't want to lower standards, better matrics mean better students," he said at the Congress of South African Trade Unions' (Cosatu's) education and skills conference in Johannesburg.

He said it just didn't seem right that someone with 20 years work experience, or someone with a technical qualification, could be denied further education without a matric or a matric exemption.

As an example he mentioned self-taught mechanics and electricians.

"He can't be expected at 45 to go back and redo his matric," said Nzimande to loud applause.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) had to become a central component of education, he added.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference later, he said he was aware that RPL did exist at many institutions already, particularly at universities, but that it was not enough.

"We need to mainstream it into our system."