Cape Town – The quality and quantity of maths and science teachers has been questioned by some Members of Parliament as the country sought ways to improve learner performance in these critical subjects.

The Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology was on Wednesday briefed by the Departments of Science and Technology, Basic and Higher Education on plans to improve academic achievements in sciences and maths.

Some MPs suggested that the country needed specific teacher training programmes in those areas, and voiced their concerns that some maths teachers, who lacked confidence in class, resorted to studying “like learners” before lessons.

Education authorities said one in seven learners left Grade 12 with a pass in maths and the number “is even lower for physical science.”

The Department of Basic Education said part of its programmes to improve the status quo was the Dinaledi schools project, aimed at improving maths and science performance.

Project manager Sifiso Sibiya said the programme, started in 2001, comprised 500 poorly resourced schools facing challenges in those key subject areas.

“The project is designed to provide a cost-effective way of channeling scarce resources in the context of competing priorities.”

Among the project’s outcomes in 2011/12, he said they were expecting to train 2 000 teachers in the critical subjects, distribute 50 computers in each of the project schools and top-up seven textbooks for each learner in Grades 8 - 12.

Sibiya said they were running an Adopt-A-Dinaledi School Project, which sought to the promote quality teaching and learning maths, science and languages.

In collaboration with the World Bank, he said they carried out an impact evaluation programme, which had since shown an increasing number of learners passing maths and sciences in rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

Basic Education said by next year, they aimed to provide every learner from Grade 10 to 12 with a maths and science textbook.

Dr Phethiwe Matutu, of the Department of Science and Technology, said they were supporting both the Departments of Basic and Higher Education through the implementation of the Youth into Sciences Strategy (Yiss).

She said that part of Yiss’ objectives were to “prepare selected learners for higher education life (nurturing),” and providing engineering students with placement “for compulsory experiential learning.”

She said they supported Basic Education in part by participating in the Adopt-A-Dinaledi School Project. - BuaNews

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Cape Town - The Department of Basic Education is strengthening its campaign to attract young people to take up teaching through the Funza Lushaka Bursary initiative.

From next month, the department said that it would “recruit the best of young people to the teaching profession.”

It has also announced that there would be a “more scripted approach to teacher development.”

This, it said, would include training and support to teachers to “help them manage and use efficient methods to teach specific content areas,” which the Annual National Assessment had shown to be challenging to learners.

As part of efforts to strengthen accountability in the education system, the department said it was working closely with the Education Labour Relations Council to develop performance management contracts with principals and deputy principals.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and her deputy Enver Surty were addressing journalists on Tuesday during a Human Development Cluster briefing in Cape Town.

Speaking on behalf of the minister, Surty said that “all principals and deputy principals will enter into performance contracts in the future with clear performance targets.”

He highlighted that improved performance at basic education level was key to achieving the goals of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

“Education and training are central in improving the requisite skills that will ensure an effective response to the needs of the labour market… and ensuring inclusive beneficiation in the economy.”

He said that government had observed that the South African labour market was “plagued” by skills shortages.

As part of efforts to improve the new Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas), the department had started interventions which sought to increase access to training and skills development opportunities.

“The launch of the new Seta landscape has led to the restructuring of Setas… to improve governance, administration with a focus on meeting sectoral skills needs and increase training levels overall.

“A standard constitution for all Setas was introduced to ensure there is a consistency and alignment with regard to the functioning of Setas”

On a related matter, Surty said that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will not be charging interest on student loans “until 12 months after the student has graduated or left university.”

This, he said, would apply to “all NSFAS loans to students registered on 1 April 2011 and [beyond].”

“A further R50 million has been provided for postgraduate students who require financial assistance to complete their Honours, Master’s and Doctoral Degrees.

“These students will enter into loan agreements with NSFAS and the money they pay back will be earmarked to fund future postgraduate students.”

He said that the Department of Higher Education had also asked NSFAS to remove from the credit bureau “all students they have blacklisted,” particularly recipients of NSFAS loans.

Meanwhile, there are also plans by the Department of Basic Education and President Jacob Zuma to revisit the Eastern Cape to address the education crisis there. - BuaNews

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Pretoria – Learners have been encouraged to take up maths and science to help South Africa build a generation of innovators who are able to come up with solutions to challenges the country faces.

“South Africa has lagged behind many countries in science achievements and innovation. Our country needs to at least quadruple the number of senior researchers, invest millions in science performing institutions and support schools to produce excellent students in mathematics and science subjects,” said Science and Technology Minister, Naledi Pandor.

She was speaking at the launch of annual Science Week at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on Saturday.

Science Week will run from 1 – 6 August under the theme ‘Science for economic development’.

Analysis of the 2008 National Senior Certificate results by the Centre for Development and Enterprise showed that thousands of learners missed the opportunity to do well in maths and science, and actually had the potential to pass if they had taken the subjects.

Pandor encouraged learners and teachers across all grades to put their best efforts towards producing the best results in these subject areas.

The minister has in the past conceded that much more needs to be done to increase the number and quality of maths and science teachers in the country. To this end, the department introduced bursaries for intensive school teacher training to help counter the problem.

Pandor underscored the importance of science in economic and social development.

“The development of vaccines and medicines; the next prototype of satellites; meeting the challenges of rural development and security of food; improved materials for homes, clinics, roads; the sustainability of the planet and the diverse species on it; and the many other examples that I could mention, depend on us,” said Pandor.

South Africa is currently involved in ground breaking work in the HIV field. In June, the department, in partnership with the United States, launched FACTS 001, a study to test the safety and effectiveness of 1 percent tenofovir gel.

The study prior to FACTS 001, known as CAPRISA 004, was conducted last year by the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) on nearly 900 women in KwaZulu-Natal. It showed that the use of the gel reduced HIV infection by 39 percent and also reduced the risk of contracting genital herpes by 51 percent in women.

Pandor commended UKZN for its role in the study to prevent HIV infection.

This year, South Africa will host the 6th Science Centre World Congress in September. - BuaNews

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