Date: 31/03/2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: National Strategy for Mathematics Autumn Clinic
OPENING ADDRESS BY DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, TO THE SECOND AUTUMN CLINIC, The Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, 31 March 2003
Programme Director
Provincial Co-ordinators and Subject Advisors
School Principals
Mathematics and Physical Science Educators from the Dinaledi Schools
Facilitators
Presenters
Officials from the Department
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is indeed an honour and a privilege for me to officially open the second Autumn Clinic for the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. Any gathering of people who were and are actively involved in preparing our youth for the challenges of a highly competitive, technological, mathematical and scientific world is always a special event.
Unlike the youth of the seventies and eighties who were faced with apartheid policies, especially the Bantu education system, our youth today are faced with new issues such as HIV/AIDS, juvenile pregnancies, shrinking job markets, high rates of unemployment, crime and a technological revolution. The words of wisdom uttered by Austin A Winther and Trudi L Volk of Illinois University, USA, will serve to illustrate this dilemma more clearly:
We are living through a scientific and technological revolution. This revolution is changing the way we live and work. It is also changing and intensifying the problems we must face. We must make decisions, as a nation and as citizens of the world, related to decreasing fossil fuel resources and increasing energy demand. The depletion of the ozone layer and global warming are but two examples that the world will face in the near future. It is likely that young people of today who do not understand science and technology will not be able to make informed decisions about these problems.
The researchers conclude by saying:
It is important to our country that our young people acquire a higher level of scientific literacy than they are now obtaining. It is important for urgent economic and political reasons, and it is of major importance to the youth themselves. Failure to attain literacy may well prevent them from assuming full responsibility as citizens and bar them from full participation in our nation's economy.
The low level of scientific literacy among our youth, in particular those from the Black community and females, is still a matter of serious concern to the Department of Education.
One way in which we can attack the twin scourges of unemployment and poverty is by increasing the participation of our learners in Mathematics, Science and Technology. The youth, who are the majority in our nation, will face increased unemployment, underemployment, poverty and a plethora of other social problems unless, inter alia, we make the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education work. If these learners in our schools do not obtain the requisite skills in Mathematics, Science and Technology to become fully participating citizens, to engage in skilled work and create employment for themselves and others, the future is bleak indeed. It is also doubtful that our nation would be able to maintain its democratic tradition under such circumstances.
The concerns highlighted above are not new. For the past few years, the Department of Education has made efforts to improve the standard of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in our country. The National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, the Dinaledi Project, was launched in June 2001. The maxim of the strategy, 'Creating Tomorrow Stars Today', is a serious challenge to us. Historically, stars have had an important role in our culture, the most important one being that of showing the way. We strongly believe that through this project, more leaders will be created who will lead the country into the new century.
At the beginning of last year the intervention rolled out a meticulously planned programme to support these schools. The 102 schools received attention and support from the Department of Education and the respective Provincial Departments for the whole year. Furthermore, these schools were given a challenge to set realistic targets to improve the participation and performance of their learners in Mathematics and Physical Science. The emphasis was on Higher Grade participation and the 'girl learner'.
It is encouraging to note a number of milestones that were achieved in its first year of operation. At the Dinaledi schools, the number of learners who took and passed mathematics on the higher grade increased by more than 100% and 90%, respectively. In Physical Science Higher Grade, the participation increased by more than 20% and the pass rate by more than 70%. The participation of girl learners (55%) in mathematics continued to outstrip that of boys, and their pass rate compared to that in 2001 increased by 98%. In Physical Science the participation rate of girls increased by 19,1% and their performance in higher grade increased by 105%, which was almost double that of boys (54%).
A comparison of the 2001 and 2002 matriculation results reveal the following statistical data. In Physical Science the overall increase in the pass rate is 13,4%, comprising improvements of respectively, 11,5% and 16,5% in Higher and Standard Grades. In Mathematics the overall pass rate increased by 10,7%. While the performance in Higher Grade decreased by 2,2%, that in Standard Grade improved by 12,4%.
Programme Director, the achievement of the matric class of 2002 should be welcomed and applauded. We applaud the learners, educators, principals, and all those who made a contribution to these achievements. The performance of any learner is a reward for days and nights of hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice. The significance of the performance of an individual schools' matric class lives long after the euphoria that follows the release of the results at the end of each year. When the ink has dried and the newspaper articles have been archived, the impact of the results lives on at each school and beyond, and that is the real creation of tomorrow's stars.
The performance of each matric group of learners sets the standard for the matric class that follows. The performance of the previous matric class is an important motivating factor for the next cohort. It is important to highlight that the analyses and comments we make inspire and motivate rather than demoralise. This of course does not mean that we should not be critical and guarded in our celebrations.
Our Mathematics and Science educators who are in daily contact with our learners played a very significant role in helping us to reach the targets that we have set for ourselves. We thank and commend them for a job well done. Education is a partnership, and we won't develop successful learners without developing successful educators. In order to have a scientifically, mathematically and technologically competent society, we need Mathematics and Physical science educators who are:
* Student-centred, because these are educators who have empathy, patience and find ways to make their subjects relevant and challenging to learners
* Committed to their learners, community and profession. These educators take pride in and are always committed to what they do
* Creative: Creative educators are able to capture the attention of their learners and conduct stimulating, thought provoking and productive classes that learners always look forward to
* Self-directed professionals: Self directed educators are life long learners.
They read professional journals, attend professional conferences, serve on committees, take leadership roles, give talks at workshops, share teaching ideas, participate in curriculum development and mentor learners, just to name a few.
To all of you who are here today, this occasion marks a special milestone in your careers and future. This event gives you an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the future of this country. It is up to you to make the best of it.
As we lead the march into the 21st century, we should ensure that our eyes are kept firmly on our goals. We should not allow the joyous celebrations for a successful year blind us to the challenges that lie ahead. Although milestones have been achieved and major strides have been made in terms of participation and performance in the first year, there is indeed ample room for improvement and the following areas of concern should be addressed with a sense of urgency:
* Still more learners should take these two critical subjects and pass them well
* The average percentage pass in the Dinaledi schools in both Mathematics and Physical science is still below the national average in the same subjects. Although the gap is narrowing, the low average is an area of great concern. However, this should be understood against the background that these 102 schools are from historically disadvantaged communities and have doubled their intake in HG compared to 2001
* While it is encouraging to note that in the 102 Dinaledi schools there are more females than males who do Mathematics and Physical Science, we noted that the performance of females in these subjects is lower compared to that of males, especially in Higher Grade. We need to improve this as a part of our focus on the girl learner
* While approximately 70% of the Dinaledi schools are moving towards our vision of schools of excellence in Mathematics and Science education, it should concern us that about 30% of the 102 schools are still under performing, especially in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. This is indeed a worrying factor. In this regard, we would like to reiterate that while it is the departments' responsibility to support schools in terms of resources, it is the responsibility of the schools to account for the quality and quantity of delivery. The maxim here is, 'We provide, you deliver!' It should be known that membership of the 102 Dinaledi schools is not guaranteed for life; schools have to work hard to continue to be a part of this project.
Research and history tell us that laboratory experience and practical work, and the exposure to the value of science and mathematics in real life play a very significant role in influencing participation and performance in Mathematics and Physical Science. That is why the department acted swiftly to equip all the 102 dedicated mathematics and science schools with science and mathematics equipment and train the teachers in the use of that equipment.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this year the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education will focus on the following critical issues:
* Accelerated delivery: Research and experience tell us that we are living in a highly technological world where all learners need a firm grounding in Mathematics, Science and Technology. Peggy House aptly captures this scenario when she says:
We are told that scientific and technological knowledge currently increase by 13% per year, thus doubling every five and half years, and that the rate is expected soon to jump to 40% per year. What is urgently needed is an education focused on the use of knowledge in new and yet unanticipated situations, and use, not by the selected few, but by everybody.
South Africa is no exception, we need to deliver now and drastic action needs to be taken at the schools that are under-performing.
* We intend to increase accountability at the national, provincial, district and school levels because the stakes are high, given the focus on this strategy. In this regard, a monitoring plan at all levels of operation should be put in place as a matter of urgency. This monitoring plan should enable all of us to continuously monitor all the activities and to ascertain that all eyes are focused on the goals and objectives that we set for ourselves.
* Writing of common examinations for grades 11 and 12 in Mathematics and Physical Science must provide schools with the right signals for giving guidance to remedial work where needed.
* We will intensify the empowerment of Mathematics and Science educators in terms of subject knowledge and methodology to all those in need.
* More emphasis should be put on the 'girl learners'.
May I take this opportunity to thank all those organisations and individuals, who in one way or another are contributing towards improving the mathematical, scientific and technological literacy of our youth? For the Dinaledi Project, in particular, our thanks go to Telkom, Microsoft, Sasol, Eskom, USAID, Multichoice, Casio and Mark Shuttleworth who is still one of the leading champions of mathematics and science among our youth. We hope others in business, big and small, will help us shape the future of our country and prepare our youth to face the challenges of the 21st century with confidence.
Finally, all of us who are here this morning - business people, facilitators, presenters, principals and educators - are all part of the ever-changing world. The challenge before us is to make the best out of what we have because the future of our youth and the country lies with us. History will judge us by what we do today for our beloved country. Success is our only option because Africa depends on us; South Africa depends on us; our communities and learners depend on us. All will follow our progress very closely believing that we will not let them down.
It is now my singular pleasure to declare this second Autumn Clinic officially open.
Issued by Ministry of Education
31 March 2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: National Strategy for Mathematics Autumn Clinic
OPENING ADDRESS BY DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, TO THE SECOND AUTUMN CLINIC, The Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, 31 March 2003
Programme Director
Provincial Co-ordinators and Subject Advisors
School Principals
Mathematics and Physical Science Educators from the Dinaledi Schools
Facilitators
Presenters
Officials from the Department
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is indeed an honour and a privilege for me to officially open the second Autumn Clinic for the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. Any gathering of people who were and are actively involved in preparing our youth for the challenges of a highly competitive, technological, mathematical and scientific world is always a special event.
Unlike the youth of the seventies and eighties who were faced with apartheid policies, especially the Bantu education system, our youth today are faced with new issues such as HIV/AIDS, juvenile pregnancies, shrinking job markets, high rates of unemployment, crime and a technological revolution. The words of wisdom uttered by Austin A Winther and Trudi L Volk of Illinois University, USA, will serve to illustrate this dilemma more clearly:
We are living through a scientific and technological revolution. This revolution is changing the way we live and work. It is also changing and intensifying the problems we must face. We must make decisions, as a nation and as citizens of the world, related to decreasing fossil fuel resources and increasing energy demand. The depletion of the ozone layer and global warming are but two examples that the world will face in the near future. It is likely that young people of today who do not understand science and technology will not be able to make informed decisions about these problems.
The researchers conclude by saying:
It is important to our country that our young people acquire a higher level of scientific literacy than they are now obtaining. It is important for urgent economic and political reasons, and it is of major importance to the youth themselves. Failure to attain literacy may well prevent them from assuming full responsibility as citizens and bar them from full participation in our nation's economy.
The low level of scientific literacy among our youth, in particular those from the Black community and females, is still a matter of serious concern to the Department of Education.
One way in which we can attack the twin scourges of unemployment and poverty is by increasing the participation of our learners in Mathematics, Science and Technology. The youth, who are the majority in our nation, will face increased unemployment, underemployment, poverty and a plethora of other social problems unless, inter alia, we make the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education work. If these learners in our schools do not obtain the requisite skills in Mathematics, Science and Technology to become fully participating citizens, to engage in skilled work and create employment for themselves and others, the future is bleak indeed. It is also doubtful that our nation would be able to maintain its democratic tradition under such circumstances.
The concerns highlighted above are not new. For the past few years, the Department of Education has made efforts to improve the standard of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in our country. The National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, the Dinaledi Project, was launched in June 2001. The maxim of the strategy, 'Creating Tomorrow Stars Today', is a serious challenge to us. Historically, stars have had an important role in our culture, the most important one being that of showing the way. We strongly believe that through this project, more leaders will be created who will lead the country into the new century.
At the beginning of last year the intervention rolled out a meticulously planned programme to support these schools. The 102 schools received attention and support from the Department of Education and the respective Provincial Departments for the whole year. Furthermore, these schools were given a challenge to set realistic targets to improve the participation and performance of their learners in Mathematics and Physical Science. The emphasis was on Higher Grade participation and the 'girl learner'.
It is encouraging to note a number of milestones that were achieved in its first year of operation. At the Dinaledi schools, the number of learners who took and passed mathematics on the higher grade increased by more than 100% and 90%, respectively. In Physical Science Higher Grade, the participation increased by more than 20% and the pass rate by more than 70%. The participation of girl learners (55%) in mathematics continued to outstrip that of boys, and their pass rate compared to that in 2001 increased by 98%. In Physical Science the participation rate of girls increased by 19,1% and their performance in higher grade increased by 105%, which was almost double that of boys (54%).
A comparison of the 2001 and 2002 matriculation results reveal the following statistical data. In Physical Science the overall increase in the pass rate is 13,4%, comprising improvements of respectively, 11,5% and 16,5% in Higher and Standard Grades. In Mathematics the overall pass rate increased by 10,7%. While the performance in Higher Grade decreased by 2,2%, that in Standard Grade improved by 12,4%.
Programme Director, the achievement of the matric class of 2002 should be welcomed and applauded. We applaud the learners, educators, principals, and all those who made a contribution to these achievements. The performance of any learner is a reward for days and nights of hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice. The significance of the performance of an individual schools' matric class lives long after the euphoria that follows the release of the results at the end of each year. When the ink has dried and the newspaper articles have been archived, the impact of the results lives on at each school and beyond, and that is the real creation of tomorrow's stars.
The performance of each matric group of learners sets the standard for the matric class that follows. The performance of the previous matric class is an important motivating factor for the next cohort. It is important to highlight that the analyses and comments we make inspire and motivate rather than demoralise. This of course does not mean that we should not be critical and guarded in our celebrations.
Our Mathematics and Science educators who are in daily contact with our learners played a very significant role in helping us to reach the targets that we have set for ourselves. We thank and commend them for a job well done. Education is a partnership, and we won't develop successful learners without developing successful educators. In order to have a scientifically, mathematically and technologically competent society, we need Mathematics and Physical science educators who are:
* Student-centred, because these are educators who have empathy, patience and find ways to make their subjects relevant and challenging to learners
* Committed to their learners, community and profession. These educators take pride in and are always committed to what they do
* Creative: Creative educators are able to capture the attention of their learners and conduct stimulating, thought provoking and productive classes that learners always look forward to
* Self-directed professionals: Self directed educators are life long learners.
They read professional journals, attend professional conferences, serve on committees, take leadership roles, give talks at workshops, share teaching ideas, participate in curriculum development and mentor learners, just to name a few.
To all of you who are here today, this occasion marks a special milestone in your careers and future. This event gives you an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the future of this country. It is up to you to make the best of it.
As we lead the march into the 21st century, we should ensure that our eyes are kept firmly on our goals. We should not allow the joyous celebrations for a successful year blind us to the challenges that lie ahead. Although milestones have been achieved and major strides have been made in terms of participation and performance in the first year, there is indeed ample room for improvement and the following areas of concern should be addressed with a sense of urgency:
* Still more learners should take these two critical subjects and pass them well
* The average percentage pass in the Dinaledi schools in both Mathematics and Physical science is still below the national average in the same subjects. Although the gap is narrowing, the low average is an area of great concern. However, this should be understood against the background that these 102 schools are from historically disadvantaged communities and have doubled their intake in HG compared to 2001
* While it is encouraging to note that in the 102 Dinaledi schools there are more females than males who do Mathematics and Physical Science, we noted that the performance of females in these subjects is lower compared to that of males, especially in Higher Grade. We need to improve this as a part of our focus on the girl learner
* While approximately 70% of the Dinaledi schools are moving towards our vision of schools of excellence in Mathematics and Science education, it should concern us that about 30% of the 102 schools are still under performing, especially in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. This is indeed a worrying factor. In this regard, we would like to reiterate that while it is the departments' responsibility to support schools in terms of resources, it is the responsibility of the schools to account for the quality and quantity of delivery. The maxim here is, 'We provide, you deliver!' It should be known that membership of the 102 Dinaledi schools is not guaranteed for life; schools have to work hard to continue to be a part of this project.
Research and history tell us that laboratory experience and practical work, and the exposure to the value of science and mathematics in real life play a very significant role in influencing participation and performance in Mathematics and Physical Science. That is why the department acted swiftly to equip all the 102 dedicated mathematics and science schools with science and mathematics equipment and train the teachers in the use of that equipment.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this year the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education will focus on the following critical issues:
* Accelerated delivery: Research and experience tell us that we are living in a highly technological world where all learners need a firm grounding in Mathematics, Science and Technology. Peggy House aptly captures this scenario when she says:
We are told that scientific and technological knowledge currently increase by 13% per year, thus doubling every five and half years, and that the rate is expected soon to jump to 40% per year. What is urgently needed is an education focused on the use of knowledge in new and yet unanticipated situations, and use, not by the selected few, but by everybody.
South Africa is no exception, we need to deliver now and drastic action needs to be taken at the schools that are under-performing.
* We intend to increase accountability at the national, provincial, district and school levels because the stakes are high, given the focus on this strategy. In this regard, a monitoring plan at all levels of operation should be put in place as a matter of urgency. This monitoring plan should enable all of us to continuously monitor all the activities and to ascertain that all eyes are focused on the goals and objectives that we set for ourselves.
* Writing of common examinations for grades 11 and 12 in Mathematics and Physical Science must provide schools with the right signals for giving guidance to remedial work where needed.
* We will intensify the empowerment of Mathematics and Science educators in terms of subject knowledge and methodology to all those in need.
* More emphasis should be put on the 'girl learners'.
May I take this opportunity to thank all those organisations and individuals, who in one way or another are contributing towards improving the mathematical, scientific and technological literacy of our youth? For the Dinaledi Project, in particular, our thanks go to Telkom, Microsoft, Sasol, Eskom, USAID, Multichoice, Casio and Mark Shuttleworth who is still one of the leading champions of mathematics and science among our youth. We hope others in business, big and small, will help us shape the future of our country and prepare our youth to face the challenges of the 21st century with confidence.
Finally, all of us who are here this morning - business people, facilitators, presenters, principals and educators - are all part of the ever-changing world. The challenge before us is to make the best out of what we have because the future of our youth and the country lies with us. History will judge us by what we do today for our beloved country. Success is our only option because Africa depends on us; South Africa depends on us; our communities and learners depend on us. All will follow our progress very closely believing that we will not let them down.
It is now my singular pleasure to declare this second Autumn Clinic officially open.
Issued by Ministry of Education
31 March 2003
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