Date: 25/10/2005
Source: Department of Science and Technology
Title: Mangena: Youth into Science and Strategy National Consultative Conference
Opening address by the Honourable Mr Mosibudi Mangena, Minister of Science and Technology, at the opening of the Youth into Science Strategy National Consultative Conference, Birchwood
The Programme Director
Our Guest Speakers, Dr Inocente Mutimucuio and Ms Thandikile Mbvundula
Representatives of embassies, government departments, science councils, statutory bodies,
non-governmental organisations, youth formations, professional associations and business
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
This historic conference is taking place during a period of interesting scientific activities in South Africa. It takes place at a time when the nation is abuzz with expectation and enthusiasm about the launch of the largest optical telescope in the Southern hemisphere. It happens after a week of intense debates and discussions on climate change. It also comes after a very successful Expo for Young Scientist last month where South Africa was awarded the certificate to host the International Science and Engineering Fair in 2007. But more importantly, it comes at a time when the Department of Science and Technology is planning a 10-year vision for Science and Technology.
This conference affords us the opportunity to devise interventions to inform medium to long-term plans of the department, to critically reflect on the progress made during the 10 years of our democracy, and to develop effective ways of improving the performance of the science system to make it more responsive to the challenges of the 21st century. History has proved that the implementation of any reforms, including that of science and technology education, cannot be realised through isolated events. It is for this reason that the proposed Youth into Science Strategy is being developed and tabled at such a broadly representative forum of role-players and interested parties.
I am pleased to see the extent to which science councils, science centres, government departments, private sector, non-governmental organisations, professional associations, including our partners from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, institutions of higher learning and youth formations are represented at this conference. This is clearly indicative of the will and resolve of our partners to work together to address what has become a modern day global challenge - scientific and technological literacy for all. “Declining interest in science studies among young people” has been identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Science Forum as a major factor that has a potential of hampering the attainment of science and technology literacy for all.
Delegates have gathered here to develop implementable interventions to address this major challenge. A number of studies have been conducted to seek insights behind the “declining interest in science studies among young people”. The OECD assessment study reveals disturbing findings, which show no direct correlation between learner performance and investments made in education. We therefore need to work out cost-effective strategies that must be put in place to ensure return on investment, and the learning areas that need to be targeted to improve performance. These are questions this conference must grapple with and propose effective remedial interventions.
But the OECD results also provide very encouraging insights. Performance levels achieved by students in a number of countries revealed that excellence in schooling can be attained at a reasonable cost. They also revealed that it is possible to combine high performance standards with a socially equitable distribution of learning outcomes. These are important baseline findings for the development of the Youth into Science Strategy whose objectives must be to improve both excellence and equity in science and technology.
I understand that this conference is also designed to concretely address some of the challenges identified by the Status of Youth Report 2005, which was commissioned by the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and researched by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). The definition of youth used in the study is based on that proposed by the Youth Policy of 1996, which defines a young person as an individual falling within the age group of 14 to 35 years.
The Status of Youth Report reveals three serious challenges, which the Youth into Science Strategy need to address. First, the report mentions that almost half of the African youth interviewed cite financial reasons as grounds for not continuing with their studies. Second, the report found that the highest growth in unemployment between 1995 and 2002 has been among people with matriculation and tertiary education. Those mostly affected by this trend were educated young Africans, especially in the age-group of 25 to 34, where the rate of unemployment within this category of youth has grown from about 45% to 91% during the same period.
This is in sharp contrast with the unemployment levels of 6,3%, 1,5% and 1,6% respectively, among Coloureds, Indians and whites. This problem relates both to the type of education Africans received, and the type of institutions from which they graduated. Last, despite their low representivity levels, the largest group of unemployed young science graduates remain African. Compared with 0% unemployment among Coloureds, Indians and whites, unemployed African science graduates in Manufacturing, Engineering and Development is nearly 4%, in Health Sciences and Social Services 11,5%, and in Agriculture and Nature Conservation 2,2%.
The Status of Youth Report provides valuable insights, which can be utilised in formulating the Youth into Science Strategy geared towards assisting those who were negatively affected by past discriminatory policies to remain in the ‘human capital pipeline’ up to the highest level of expertise required for an effective National System of Innovation. We need to arrest the increasing trend of unemployment among the 24 to 35 year olds as a matter of urgency. Otherwise we will never be able to address the status quo of the ageing unrepresentative productive workforce in the science and technology sector.
We expect the expertise present at this conference to begin the process of developing effective strategies of addressing the above challenges. The speakers from Mozambique and Malawi are bound to give us valuable insights and lessons we could consider when we devise the implementation strategies for the Youth into Science Strategy. In addition to strengthening our collaboration with the Department of Education, we need to establish other partnerships if we want to create a sustainable environment for the seeds planted by this conference. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders, and we need to do everything possible to ensure their proper grounding in science, engineering and technology. It is now my pleasure to declare this National Consultative Conference open. I wish you luck in your deliberations and look forward to the report that will emanate from this meeting.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
25 October 2005
Source: Department of Science and Technology
Title: Mangena: Youth into Science and Strategy National Consultative Conference
Opening address by the Honourable Mr Mosibudi Mangena, Minister of Science and Technology, at the opening of the Youth into Science Strategy National Consultative Conference, Birchwood
The Programme Director
Our Guest Speakers, Dr Inocente Mutimucuio and Ms Thandikile Mbvundula
Representatives of embassies, government departments, science councils, statutory bodies,
non-governmental organisations, youth formations, professional associations and business
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
This historic conference is taking place during a period of interesting scientific activities in South Africa. It takes place at a time when the nation is abuzz with expectation and enthusiasm about the launch of the largest optical telescope in the Southern hemisphere. It happens after a week of intense debates and discussions on climate change. It also comes after a very successful Expo for Young Scientist last month where South Africa was awarded the certificate to host the International Science and Engineering Fair in 2007. But more importantly, it comes at a time when the Department of Science and Technology is planning a 10-year vision for Science and Technology.
This conference affords us the opportunity to devise interventions to inform medium to long-term plans of the department, to critically reflect on the progress made during the 10 years of our democracy, and to develop effective ways of improving the performance of the science system to make it more responsive to the challenges of the 21st century. History has proved that the implementation of any reforms, including that of science and technology education, cannot be realised through isolated events. It is for this reason that the proposed Youth into Science Strategy is being developed and tabled at such a broadly representative forum of role-players and interested parties.
I am pleased to see the extent to which science councils, science centres, government departments, private sector, non-governmental organisations, professional associations, including our partners from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, institutions of higher learning and youth formations are represented at this conference. This is clearly indicative of the will and resolve of our partners to work together to address what has become a modern day global challenge - scientific and technological literacy for all. “Declining interest in science studies among young people” has been identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Science Forum as a major factor that has a potential of hampering the attainment of science and technology literacy for all.
Delegates have gathered here to develop implementable interventions to address this major challenge. A number of studies have been conducted to seek insights behind the “declining interest in science studies among young people”. The OECD assessment study reveals disturbing findings, which show no direct correlation between learner performance and investments made in education. We therefore need to work out cost-effective strategies that must be put in place to ensure return on investment, and the learning areas that need to be targeted to improve performance. These are questions this conference must grapple with and propose effective remedial interventions.
But the OECD results also provide very encouraging insights. Performance levels achieved by students in a number of countries revealed that excellence in schooling can be attained at a reasonable cost. They also revealed that it is possible to combine high performance standards with a socially equitable distribution of learning outcomes. These are important baseline findings for the development of the Youth into Science Strategy whose objectives must be to improve both excellence and equity in science and technology.
I understand that this conference is also designed to concretely address some of the challenges identified by the Status of Youth Report 2005, which was commissioned by the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and researched by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). The definition of youth used in the study is based on that proposed by the Youth Policy of 1996, which defines a young person as an individual falling within the age group of 14 to 35 years.
The Status of Youth Report reveals three serious challenges, which the Youth into Science Strategy need to address. First, the report mentions that almost half of the African youth interviewed cite financial reasons as grounds for not continuing with their studies. Second, the report found that the highest growth in unemployment between 1995 and 2002 has been among people with matriculation and tertiary education. Those mostly affected by this trend were educated young Africans, especially in the age-group of 25 to 34, where the rate of unemployment within this category of youth has grown from about 45% to 91% during the same period.
This is in sharp contrast with the unemployment levels of 6,3%, 1,5% and 1,6% respectively, among Coloureds, Indians and whites. This problem relates both to the type of education Africans received, and the type of institutions from which they graduated. Last, despite their low representivity levels, the largest group of unemployed young science graduates remain African. Compared with 0% unemployment among Coloureds, Indians and whites, unemployed African science graduates in Manufacturing, Engineering and Development is nearly 4%, in Health Sciences and Social Services 11,5%, and in Agriculture and Nature Conservation 2,2%.
The Status of Youth Report provides valuable insights, which can be utilised in formulating the Youth into Science Strategy geared towards assisting those who were negatively affected by past discriminatory policies to remain in the ‘human capital pipeline’ up to the highest level of expertise required for an effective National System of Innovation. We need to arrest the increasing trend of unemployment among the 24 to 35 year olds as a matter of urgency. Otherwise we will never be able to address the status quo of the ageing unrepresentative productive workforce in the science and technology sector.
We expect the expertise present at this conference to begin the process of developing effective strategies of addressing the above challenges. The speakers from Mozambique and Malawi are bound to give us valuable insights and lessons we could consider when we devise the implementation strategies for the Youth into Science Strategy. In addition to strengthening our collaboration with the Department of Education, we need to establish other partnerships if we want to create a sustainable environment for the seeds planted by this conference. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders, and we need to do everything possible to ensure their proper grounding in science, engineering and technology. It is now my pleasure to declare this National Consultative Conference open. I wish you luck in your deliberations and look forward to the report that will emanate from this meeting.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
25 October 2005
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