"A discourse will soon start with the department of higher education to increase funding in respect of teacher education particularly for the province of KwaZulu-Natal,” Mchunu said.

The MEC was to meet with university rectors in order to get feedback on how the programme to produce the teachers was going.

He said only 493 teachers aged 30 years and younger entered the public service, while the department is targeting 1 200 by next year.

About 4 500 teachers were lost annually through resignations, deaths and other factors.

"Among the 3 000 teachers that we need annually, 2 500 should be for maths and science and even with that there would still be shortages," said Mchunu.

If this was not rectified, KZN and South Africa were approaching crisis point on teacher availability, he said.