464 schools in SA don't offer Mathematics as a subject
More than 400 schools in South Africa do not offer Mathematics as a subject, with one province leading the pack with the highest number of such schools.
Mathematics is often regarded as one of the most important subjects a school can offer, so it's understandable that South Africans were surprised to learn that more than 400 schools don't offer Maths.
According to The Citizen, the Department of Basic Education revealed that Mathematics is not taught in 464 schools across the country.
Although Maths is not the be-all and end-all of success, or even a requirement for university exemption, this is still a surprising revelation.
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Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube also revealed that KwaZulu-Natal leads the pack, with the largest number of schools not offering Mathematics.
"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.
Here is the number of public schools not offering Maths per province:
- KwaZulu-Natal: 135
- Eastern Cape: 84
- Limpopo: 78
- Western Cape: 61
- North West: 31
- Gauteng: 31
- Northern Cape: 19
- Free State: 14
- Mpumalanga: 11
These schools still offer Mathematical Literacy as a subject.
Other challenges pointed out by Gwarube include:
- 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
Gwarube added that this does not mean schools and learners are not encouraged to pursue Mathematics.
"Schools and learners are consistently encouraged to choose Mathematics over Mathematical Literacy where appropriate. Provinces are also supported in strengthening teacher capacity and learner performance in Mathematics.
"Ongoing professional development includes a focus on methodology, with the aim of enhancing learner understanding and retention in Mathematics," she added.
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The following strategic interventions have been put in place to make Mathematics a more realistic subject choice for learners:
- Mathematics, Science and Technology Conditional Grant supports
- Trilateral Cooperation with the Department of Higher Education and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation
- STEM Focus Schools Programme
- Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education
- Strengthening Foundation Phase and Early Childhood Development
- Review of Post-Provisioning Norms
- Strengthening Curriculum Support and Resources
- Protecting Teaching and Learning Time
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