Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has raised concerns that too few learners are taking pure mathematics in high school, a trend he says limits career opportunities and undermines South Africa’s skills base.
Briefing the media in Pretoria, Manamela said growing enrolment in mathematical literacy instead of pure maths, together with low pass rates in mathematics, science and accounting, poses a serious challenge for the post-school education system.
He warned that poor subject choices exclude learners from high-demand fields such as engineering, health sciences, ICT and data science, weakening the country’s ability to drive industrialisation, innovation and economic growth.
Manamela also urged learners to explore TVET colleges and vocational pathways, stressing that the post-school system offers multiple routes beyond university education.