A LEGACY OF APARTHEID - THE CASE OF MATHEMATICAL EDUCATION IN SOUTH-AFRICA

Post-independence South Africa faces many consequences of apartheid. One legacy has been the creation of a population of school leavers for whom under-achievement in mathematics has become the norm. This paper evaluates (a) the extent and causes of under-performance in mathematics in the general population; (b) the resourcing of mathematical education, and (c) the mathematics curriculum. Evidence is provided to show that in addition to personal and social losses created by under-performance in mathematics, economic wastage has resulted from having neglected to create the conditions for the development of an appropriately numerate population. The paper offers proposals for the improvement of mathematical education through an extension of the democratic process.