South Africa's collapsing school system is placing the nation at risk, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said in her weekly newsletter on Friday.
"There is probably no greater threat to our South African future than the failure of our education system," Zille said.
"It is not producing the skilled people our economy desperately needs.
"Without them, we shall fail as a nation."
South Africa spent more per capita on education compared with countries of comparable economic development, but despite this it attained far worse results, she said.
"Our public primary and secondary schools, with some very honourable exceptions, are performing dismally.
"Most of the highly functional schools are the ex-model-C schools and the private schools."
South Africa produces about 1 400 engineering graduates a year, while South Korea, with a similar sized population, produces 30 000 a year, Zille said.
South Africa needs around 21 000 new teachers a year, but produces only 5 000 a year. Only 15% of maths teachers are suitably qualified, Zille said.
"We have massive shortages of doctors, nurses, accountants, artisans and every other professional and technical grade.
"Without skills, we shall fall further and further behind nations such as South Korea, China and India, all once poorer than us."
Zille said schools were not providing universities with suitable black students.
"The universities would love to have more black students but the school system does not provide," Zille said.
"This is the problem rather than racism in university admissions.
"It is very difficult for the universities to meet the challenge of hopelessly unprepared students.
"The real solution is to improve the quality of the school system, not undermine the capacity of universities to maintain quality."