By Filip Kovacevic.
Africa along with the rest of the world is experiencing a transition by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which the World Economic Forum describes as the advent of “cyber-physical systems.”
STEM skills are major drivers of economic development that provide skilled labor, innovation, and social mobility. Labor-intensive jobs such as manufacturing are being replaced with robotics, AI and machine learning that require a strong background in coding.
South Africa faces ongoing challenges in delivering basic education to its young student population, especially in the field of science and mathematics, the two primary prerequisites to STEM careers. Issues range from teacher shortage, to lack of financing.
The Center for Development and Enterprise predicted that South Africa would need about 456,000 teachers by 2025 in order to ensure quality education. The number of teachers at the moment is 410,000 according to the Department of Basic Education.
The government of South Africa considers education its highest domestic priority, spending 5% of its GDP annually on education. Despite this, 51% of youth aged 18-24 claimed they did not have the financial means to pay tuition according to a report released by Statistics South Africa.
The table below highlights some of the biggest issues experienced by students in public schools during the 2018 school year. Lack of books, high fees, and overcrowded classrooms top the list.
Source: Statistics South Africa
The unemployment rate in youth aged 15-24 was 55.2% in the 1st quarter of 2019. Among the graduates in this age group, the unemployment rate was 31.0%.
According to the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF), university graduation in STEM-related courses is around 20%. With such a low graduation rate in that field, most STEM jobs are outsourced to large multinational companies from China, India, and the US.
Low incentives also play a big part in the labor force, as many tend to seek opportunities abroad. For example, the South African Institute of Civil Engineering states that 1500 engineers graduate annually, with only half going to work in the field of engineering.
In order to ensure a bright future for students, the government and organizations must step up and take action. Investing in infrastructure, teaching effective learning methodology, and increasing the number of STEM related subjects in primary schools are some of the steps necessary.
Foundations such as the Same Foundation have already begun the work. They visit a school and determine the needs of the school within their STEM scope. For example, a school might need a computer center. After that has been established, they do a fundraiser towards it and renovate the classroom. They outfit the classroom with smart boards, computers and Internet access.
David Dodge, CEO of Codakid, says, “quality coding and STEM skill options are not available in many towns, cities and even countries.” This is especially true for areas of South Africa, as the majority of its workforce comes from small towns and rural areas. Luckily there are online courses that offer coding for kids, that can be accessed from anywhere to those with an Internet connection. Online courses allow students to learn at their own pace, and offer them more flexibility as they are not reliant on buying books and attending classes.
Over the next decade, STEM jobs will be in high demand and STEM literacy and education will be critical. Improving the STEM education in South Africa will take efforts from government organizations, communities, business and individuals. Working together will allow the country’s young demographic to move forward, grow its economy, and compete on the world stage.
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