2 the state of science in south africa
M A T H E M A T I C A L S C I E N C E S
fact that the percentage increase in Afri- almost surely, strong intervention in order
can enrolments is disproportionately large to supply sufficient numbers of qualified
relative to the other groups. Nevertheless, mathematical science graduates that are
the low overall degree success rate of stu- necessary to feed an emerging knowledge
dents in the mathematical sciences, both in economy.
absolute and in comparative terms, repre-
sents serious wastage of human capital in The rise in undergraduate enrolments in
the South African higher education system. all mathematical science courses, includ-
It should be noted further that this low ing service courses, is not the result of an
success rate occurs among a group of stu- overall growth in the number of students
dents that already constitutes a very small majoring in the mathematical sciences. On
fraction of the school-leaving cohort in the the contrary, Table 2.3 shows that the over-
sense that they have passed mathematics all numbers, including undergraduate and
at the appropriate level to enrol for mathe- postgraduate, are at best stable with a wor-
matical science courses at university. This is rying decline in Honours enrolments from
an issue that demands urgent enquiry and, 955 in 2003 to 805 in 2006.
Table 2.3: Headcount enrolments in mathematical sciences
Year Undergraduate Honours Masters Doctoral
2003 8 700 955 554 181
2004 9 310 864 491 202
2005 8 654 671 452 186
2006 8 775 805 618 246
Source: Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS).
Higher degree students During this period, postgraduate student
The total number of Masters and Doctoral research projects were predominantly in
enrolments in the mathematical sciences applied mathematics, which accounted for
across the country has grown from 735 in 62 of the 223 project entries on the data-
2003 to 864 in 2006, which bodes well for base developed by the Centre for Science
the research pipeline. However, a break- Development, Human Sciences Research
down between Masters by coursework Council. This was followed by the sub-
(including a research report) and Masters disciplines of algebra and number theory,
by research (dissertation only) shows that and general mathematics, with 22 entries
60% of Masters enrolments are Masters by each. A February 2009 report to the John Tem-
research, which is low in comparison with pleton Foundation from the Developing
comparative science disciplines, such as Countries’ Strategies Group, International
physics, where the research Masters com- Mathematical Union (IMU), entitled Math-
prises over 85% of Masters degrees. ematics in Africa: Challenges and Opportuni-
72
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