“This report provides an updated review of the state of maths and science schooling
and a revised set of recommendations for increasing its output over the next few
years, as the first phase of a broader strategy to improve the South African education system. Much of the analysis that follows will focus on maths. CDE regards maths as a bigger problem than science, because there are fewer passes in SC HG maths than in HG science, and more fields of higher education require maths than science. South Africa spends proportionately more on education than many other developing
countries, yet its learners perform far worse than those of other developing
countries – including African countries – in international tests. This indicates that the public education system is inefficient, making ineffective use of resources.”
