The Education Dept says some of these schools don’t offer the subject because of a shortage of teachers.

South Africa already ranks low internationally on the quality of its maths and science results.

A written reply to a Parliamentary question has revealed that a quarter of South Africa’s high schools do not offer Mathematics in Grades 10 to 12.

The Education Department has explained that some of these schools don’t offer the subject because of a shortage of qualified teachers.

In other cases there are no posts available or rural schools lack sufficient number of pupils to justify appointing a teacher.

But the Democratic Alliance’s Annette Lovemore said these reasons are flimsy and unsubstantiated.

“I don’t believe that the minister and the various departments are making enough of an effort and I think these figures speak for themselves.”

The department said it has developed a plan to introduce mathematics to schools that currently don’t offer the subject.