464 public schools in South Africa do not offer Mathematics

The Minister of Basic Education revealed that 464 public schools in South Africa only offer Mathematics Literacy and not Mathematics.

EFF MP Mandla Shikwambana asked the minister what number of schools are not offering Mathematics in each province, and the reasons for this. He further requested which steps her department has taken to rectify the situation.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube revealed that 464 public schools in the country do not offer Mathematics, with KwaZulu-Natal having the highest number at 135.

She explained that learners, in consultation with their parents and schools, must select subject streams in Grade 10 that align with their interests and prospective career paths. 

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

In addition, she explained that some schools face challenges such as:

• Limited enrolment in the Mathematics stream, making it unviable to run a full class.
• A shortage of qualified Mathematics teachers.
• Budgetary or timetabling constraints that limit subject offerings.

However, she said the Department of Basic Education (DBE) actively promotes the offering of Mathematics in all schools. 

She highlighted key interventions such as regular engagement with provinces, subject advocacy and curriculum support, and improving teaching methodology.

She also highlighted the impact of the Mathematics, Science and Technology Conditional Grant, which supports teaching, learning and resourcing in 500 Secondary Schools, 300 Technical High Schools and 200 Feeder Primary Schools. 

The grant provides for the procurement of equipment, teacher training and learner support to strengthen Mathematics instruction.

The minister added that the DBE is also reviewing and updating the Trilateral Co-operation Framework with the Departments of Higher Education and Science, Technology and Innovation.

This inter-departmental initiative aims to consolidate efforts across the three departments and maximise the impact of aligned Mathematics priorities, particularly in teacher development and research uptake.

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

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

South Africa scores low in Science and Maths

South African students’ below-average Maths abilities made headlines in December 2024, when the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) report was released.

This report revealed that South Africa’s grade 5 and grade 9 learners ranked extremely poorly against the global average.

South Africa assessed students in their fifth and ninth years of schooling to better match curricula and maintain trend measurement.

South Africa’s grade 5 learners were assessed mainly against grade 4 learners from other countries. They placed last among the 58 nations assessed for both Mathematics and Science.

The grade 9 students were assessed mainly against grade 8 learners from other countries.

This group placed slightly better, ranking fifth-last, above Morocco, Brazil, Palestine and Jordan in Mathematics, and second-last for Science, above Morocco.

The performance of grade 9 learners improved slightly from the previous study.

As the minister noted in her response, South Africa’s DBE has used the TIMMS and other studies to compile a diagnostic document that will inform future interventions in education.

TIMMS specifically focuses on mathematics and science, while other studies, like SEACMEQ, include literacy.

The DBE’s Director for National Assessments, Dr Mark Chetty, described these results as a “mixed bag”.

He said they present challenges for the lower grade study and some positives for the higher grade results. “These studies give us a sense of where we are as a system,” he explained.

“The results show us that we are making good progress in terms of grade 9, but we have a slight decline and challenges that we need to address in foundational literacy and numeracy.”

He added that the studies provide an international, regional, and local benchmark for education, which will give the seventh administration the opportunity to establish a baseline for decisions.