Mr Seliki Tlhabane, Chief Director for MST and Curriculum Enhancement Programmes, delivered the presentation on Strategies to promote learner achievements in stem subjects. “In collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the DBE has reviewed and finalised the Integrated National Strategy for MST Education (2019-2030) with the participation of all PEDs for learners to be equipped with Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) competencies to meet the demands of the changing world,” said Mr Tlhabane.
In line with the NDP goal, the DBE aims to increase to 90% the number of learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9 who have mastered the minimum competencies in language and numeracy by the end of each year. The National Planning Commission proposes that the required competency levels be defined as 50% and above. Therefore, 90% of learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9 must achieve 50% or more in the annual national assessments in these subjects. Another NDP target is for the DBE to increase the number to 300,000 by 2024, with 350,000 learners passing Mathematics and 320,000 learners passing Physical Science. The Commission proposes a target for 2030 of 450,000 learners being eligible for bachelors programme with Mathematics and Science.
The country has seen notable improvements in international assessments since 2002, most notable in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In the TIMMS 2019, South Africa experienced a fourfold increase for Mathematics from a score of 110 (11%) to a score of 410 (41%), and a threefold increase for Science from a score of 130 (13%) to 360 (36%) since the first cycle in 2003. Improvements were also registered in SACMEQ in the last round of assessment.
The DBE declared 2023 as the Year of Mathematics to break the 60% ceiling, and 2024 has been declared as the Year of Mathematics to break the 70% ceiling. The 2024 plan also intends to improve performance in the General Education and Training (GET) Band, along with enhanced support of the 2027 TIMMS cohort; support the bottom 13 underperforming districts, Maths Fridays; and support for the 10,000 Girls in the STEM Programme in partnership with Afrika Teen Geeks and VFS Global.
South African learners have been showing improvements in gateway subjects since 2023, however, the issue of selection between Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy remains a key challenge for the system. The participation in Mathematical Literacy has been increasing, with some provinces advising learners to move away from Mathematics to increase provincial NSC results. Mathematics participation is high in the KwaZulu-Natal; Limpopo; and the Mpumalanga Provinces. However, steady improvements are evident. In 2023, more learners have been achieving 60% at FET level; however, Grades 8 and 9 (Senior Phase) remains a challenge. The most sustainable way to achieve this is through sustained investments in improving foundational skills in numeracy in the early grades.
South Africa has taken strides in developing a foundation of early grade numeracy support. The Teaching Mathematics for Understanding (TMU) Framework and the Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) programmes are examples of collaborative efforts between government and partners, including researchers and practitioners. TMU uses multilingual materials and instruction, instructional strategies for teaching, multiple representations of number lines, such as the use of diverse concrete materials, active student engagement and real world applications. The Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) initiative to be rolled out in 2025 will also assist learners to perform better in MST subjects as the Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT) will be the same as their home language to improve comprehension.