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The SA Human Rights Commission says in a report released on Thursday that the number of schools in South Africa declined by 2534 between 2000 and 2012.
The report, a review of school infrastructure spending and delivery, found that of the 26 789 public ordinary schools in 2000, only 24 255 remained in 2012.
In the Free State 47% of schools had closed - 31% had closed in North West, 12% in Mpumalanga and 10% in the Eastern Cape.
The report added that there appeared to be a trade off with smaller schools often being merged with larger ones, which affected access to and the quality of education.
