Nicola Mawson

As the Department of Basic Education raises concerns over fewer students enrolling in vital subjects such as physical science and mathematics, business is worried that South Africa’s ability to boost its economic growth could be hampered in a rapidly evolving digital age.

This as the government struggles to revive the economy. In the third quarter of 2024, the economy experienced an unexpected contraction of 0.3%.

Addressing the public as the matric results for the class of 2024 were released, Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, said that the department had seen a decrease in enrolments in subjects, such as physical sciences, mathematics, accounting and economics. These, she stated, are “all subjects that are critical for a nation’s ability to advance in science, innovation and economic development”.

In a bid to address this, the minister said the department would reorientate the education system towards foundational education. “Too many learners progress through the basic education system without mastering foundational skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy, which are critical for performing well in gateway subjects, like mathematics and physical sciences,” Gwarube said.

Khulekani Mathe, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa, while congratulating the 2024 class after it achieved the highest pass rates since democracy, expressed concern over the decline in those qualifying with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects on their certificates.

“These are the subjects that enable learners and students to get into qualifications that are in high demand in this age of the digital revolution, AI, and all related technologies. We have got to pull out all the stops to make sure that we get to the bottom of what is behind this decline, because we cannot be a competitive economy into the future unless we have the requisite skills in these most important fields,” Mathe told Business Report.

The decline, he said, “is really a huge concern from an economic point of view and in enabling us to be a competitive economy in the 21st century”.

Joy Maimela, Portfolio Committee on Basic Education chairperson, emphasised the need for strategies to increase enrolment in technical subjects, which are critical to producing learners equipped to meet current labour and market needs. “To drive economic growth in the country, the system must produce more learners within the technical and vocational stream,” she said.

Prejlin Naidoo, a partner in the communications, media, and technology practice at Oliver Wyman, said, “STEM disciplines are essential to encourage innovation and prepare young people for a digitally driven world of work”.

According to a recent Oliver Wyman Forum report, generative AI is projected to contribute up to $20 trillion (R379trl) to global GDP by 2030 and save 300 billion work hours annually, highlighting the need for skilled professionals in STEM to harness this growth.

“Improving STEM skills across the board is essential to fostering development and securing South Africa’s place in the global AI and technology sectors,” said Naidoo.

Veteran ICT commentator, Adrian Schofield, stressed the need to train more teachers in STEM, and impart their knowledge with enthusiasm to create a culture of curiosity among learners. “Without effective teaching capacity, we are continuing to deprive the majority of learners of a path to the life they deserve,” he said.

“When AI, robotics and machine learning take over many routine, repetitive tasks, it becomes more and more obvious that employment opportunities will only be available to young people who can engage in technical, creative and design occupations,” Schofield added.

“If South African employers cannot draw on a home-grown pool of potential skills, they will either import them or shift the work to countries where the education system does create such a pool,” said Schofield.

BUSINESS REPORT