ABSTRACT
By any standard South Africa is currently experiencing a crisis in mathematics education: low adult numeracy, a limited number of well-trained and dedicated mathematics teachers, poor matriculation mathematics results nationally and the small number of women and black African candidates obtaining mathematics grades that allow them to study science, engineering and technology at university. The situation is so serious that even when we have an increase in successful mathematics school-leavers, we remain skeptical about knowledge of mathematics. This has dire consequences for the development of the country in general because mathematics education is critical to building human and economic capital. Unless we increase the quality and quantity of students who can become the next generation of scientists, engineers and technicians, South Africa’s vision for a sustainable democracy will not be realised.
