Hundreds of South African schools don’t offer Mathematics

South Africa’s Department of Basic Education (DBE) has revealed that 464 public schools do not offer Mathematics to their learners.

135 of the schools that don’t offer Mathematics are in KwaZulu-Natal, 84 are in the Eastern Cape, 78 are in Limpopo, and 61 are in the Western Cape.

The other provinces fare better. Gauteng and the North West have 31 schools each, the Northern Cape 19, Free State 14, and Mpumalanga 11.

The Department of Basic Education explained that learners must select subject streams in Grade 10 that align with their interests and prospective career paths.

“While Mathematics remains a high-priority subject, schools may not have sufficient resources or demand to offer both Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy,” it said.

Additionally, some schools face challenges such as limited enrolment in the Mathematics stream, making it unviable to run a full class.

There is also a shortage of qualified Mathematics teachers, and budgetary or timetabling constraints limit subject offerings.

The department said it actively promotes the offering of Mathematics in all schools and has launched interventions to achieve this goal.

It has monthly Mathematics meetings with all provincial education departments to share best practices, address challenges, and promote increased enrolment in Mathematics.

Schools and learners are also consistently encouraged to choose Mathematics over Mathematical Literacy where appropriate.

“Provinces are also supported in strengthening teacher capacity and learner performance in Mathematics,” the department said.

There is ongoing professional development, including a focus on methodology, with the aim of enhancing learner understanding and retention in Mathematics.

“The Minister of Basic Education, together with the DBE, is committed to improving learner participation and performance in Mathematics,” it said.

“Several strategic interventions have been implemented, many of which align with the findings from recent global and regional assessments, including TIMSS, SEACMEQ V, and SASE.”

South Africa’s poor Mathematics performance

The number of matric learners in South Africa opting to take mathematics has steadily declined from 46% in 2011 to 34% in 2023.

In 2024, the numbers continued to decline, with only 255,762 learners registered for mathematics, compared to 268,100 in 2023.

Only a small percentage of those who choose the subject achieve the necessary 60% pass to pursue university programmes in accounting, actuarial science, and engineering.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube blamed South Africa’s education system for the decline in the number of matriculants taking mathematics.

Gwarube said the decline in Mathematics threatens South Africa’s ability to advance in science, innovation, and economic development.

She pointed to foundational deficits accumulating over time, limiting students’ abilities to succeed in higher grades.

She pointed to international studies, like the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study revealed that South African learners finished last.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the largest pool of trend data from any international large-scale assessment in education.

Although the assessment was on learners in the fourth and eighth grades, South Africa sent students in their fifth and ninth grades.

The official reason is that local grade five and nine learners “better match curricula and maintain trend measurement”.

However, the reality is that South African learners are so poor that the international exams are much too difficult for them.

To compensate for our poor learners and education system, South Africa assessed learners who had one more year of education to try to match their global counterparts.

59 countries participated in TIMSS 2023 in the fourth grade. Despite assessing older and more experienced learners, South Africa finished last.