The poor quality of education is contributing to the country's skills shortage, teachers and parents unions have warned the education and labour ministers.
Education Minister Naledi Pandor and Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana are to disclose details, at a media briefing in Cape Town on Tuesday, of the progress made with the skills development strategy.
Thulas Nxesi, general secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, says the development of skills cannot be achieved without first improving the quality of education - which remained poor.
"We will continue talking about importing skills and the skills shortage for the next 20 years if we don't improve the quality of our education - and clearly the teachers are not well trained," said Nxesi.
Dave Balt, president of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA, said: "Without quality it is senseless to talk of access, redress or equity."
Paul Golditz, chief executive officer of the Federation of South African School Governing Bodies, said the system was not providing children with the quality of education they needed.
"We have challenges of providing the skills, knowledge and expertise required by the global economy.
"We don't have (enough) teachers to teach science and other specialised skills."
Pandor is expected to be asked today to explain the decline in the matric pass rate, from 73,2 percent in 2003 to 65,2 percent in 2007.
Incompetence and corruption among the Skills, Education and Training Authority units (Setas) have also hampered attempts to improve skills levels.
Oupa Mopaki, chief executive officer of the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications, Technologies Sector Training Authority, said that one of the biggest challenges facing Setas was getting companies that received funds for training to account for these were used.
Setas used only 30 percent of the funds allocated for skills development. The rest went to companies.
"Years after the formation of Setas, we are sitting with skills shortages."
In 2006, a report by global information and technology company IDC found that South Africa would be unable to fill almost 114 000 IT jobs by 2009 if there was no urgent intervention to deal with the shortage. This projection was disputed by the government.
A recent survey by the DA, using official government figures, found about 40 600 vacancies, most of them for skilled employees, in the public sector.
According to figures from the department of public service and administration, 142 300 more skilled and highly skilled employees are needed if the public sector is to be run efficiently.
Sapa quoted Pandor as saying on Monday that accountability was key if the country wanted to improve the quality of education.
"All of us in office and in educational institutions must be principled and accountable in our daily work," Pandor said in a statement.
"This means there should be clear rules in place and all should abide by these rules".
"It is impossible to be accountable if no one assesses whether agreed standards are being met."
Pandor said it was important for learning materials to be delivered on time and that teachers should be in class to teach, while principals should perform their duties with integrity and commitment.
"So we should hold officials accountable and evaluate progress vigorously."
Pandor said she had visited a number of schools and it was surprising that academic performance was good at some, but not at others.
She had been monitoring Crystal High School in Hanover Park and it had shown signs of improvement with a 64 percent matric pass rate. But in 2007, the pass rate "collapsed" to 32 percent.
"Something has gone desperately wrong."
It was possible for ordinary public schools in lower-income areas to be successful, Pandor said.
The community, including parents, should support its schools. She also called on teachers, parents and pupils to develop a strong work ethic.
"The hands-off approach in many communities needs to be transformed into an attitude and practice of community care and attention."