STEM Subjects: Teacher Training and Development & Strategies to Promote Learner Achievement; Committee Report on DBE Quarterly Performance; with Deputy Minister

Meeting report

The Chairperson opened the meeting by acknowledging the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in basic education to reduce unemployment and promote greater student employability. Improvement in these areas of education was therefore socially and economically important.

DBE presentation

Teacher training and development

Mr Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, Director-General (DG), Department of Basic Education (DBE), said the first part of the presentation would be conducted by Mr Enoch Rabotapi, Chief Director: Teacher Development, and the second by Mr Seliki Tlhabane, Chief Director: MST and Curriculum Enhancement.

Mr Rabotapi's presentation included teacher training and development. He described the integrated strategic planning framework for teacher education and development, and explained how the Department's strategies aligned with the National Developmental Plan (NDP). These strategies included the introduction of professional certification, improving teacher training, developing teachers’ skills and commitment, exposing teachers to the use of technology, developing and implementing standards for teachers, and supporting teacher professional development by unions.

He described the Funza Lushaka bursary programme, which provides financial support for aspiring teachers. The selection criteria for the bursary included a bachelor’s pass in matric, and took place through targeted recruitment in rural areas. The priority subject areas for teacher education included STEM subjects. This programme was meant to fill the gap created by the lack of qualified professionals, especially within rural areas.

He also explained the Department’s strategy for equipping teachers with digital skills through their Online Teacher Development Platform (OTDP), which provides online courses to teachers. Covid-19 has shown the importance of online teaching skills and platforms. More teachers have been using OTDPs as the years progressed. Issues identified included connectivity challenges, data challenges, lack of comfortability with technology, and limited content knowledge.

The three-stream model for educational development (academic, vocational, occupational) focused on developing the vocational and occupational aspects of the curriculum. The Department has also piloted coding and robotics programmes for future academic development.

Partnerships associated with the DBE included the French Embassy science project, online mathematics courses in association with the Chinese Embassy, teacher union collaboration, and SchoolNet collaboration, among others.

Learner advancement in STEM subjects

Mr Tlhabane described the strategies for promoting learner advancement in STEM subjects. The NDP goals included increasing the number of learners passing mathematics and physical sciences. The goal for mathematics, science and technology (MST) education was to make 450 000 students eligible to study mathematics and science at universities by 2030. The DBE had implemented the #BreakThe60%Ceiling campaign to get more than 60% of matric learners to pass mathematics in 2023, which had been successful. This plan was also reinforced in 2024 to attempt to break the 70% ceiling. The success of the #BreakThe60%Ceiling had been attempted in lower grades, where marked improvements were shown.

The DBE also aimed to implement the strategy of Teaching Mathematics for Understanding (TMU) through streamlining the curriculum and making it more focused. The Department also tested the use of subject advisors in advising on the best pedagogical approaches within classrooms, which also produced better results. Mother-tongue education has also increasingly become important, as studies have shown the positive impacts of mother-tongue education on student results.

Mr Tlhabane commented that provinces with higher mathematics results usually have fewer students taking the subject. These provinces often encouraged students to take mathematical literacy to improve the provinces’ results. For example, approximately 70% of Free State and Gauteng learners were doing mathematical literacy, not mathematics. He stressed the importance of prioritising mathematics education in all provinces, as privileging mathematical literacy would limit future opportunities for students.

Ms Simone Geyer, Deputy Director-General (DDG): Delivery and Support, DBE, announced the completion of the presentation and apologised for its length, but stressed the importance of the explanations provided.

[Refer to the presentation document attached for more details]

Discussion

Mr S Louw (ANC) assumed authority for chairing the meeting, as the Chairperson had a doctors’ appointment.

Ms C Jordaan (DA) condoned this but believed that the Committee ought to vote on an interim chairperson if this situation repeats itself in the future.

She asked the Department about its partnerships with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and education institutions to facilitate and encourage STEM education and career opportunities for students. How were these partnerships contributing to skills development and job placements? How was the Department ensuring its strategies aligned with international best practices in STEM education? She also asked about the Department’s partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and whether the Department would implement strategies aimed at meeting international benchmark tests pertaining to STEM education. She also asked what strategies the Department had in place to assess the levels of its online teacher training programmes. Regarding the prioritisation of history as a subject in previous meetings, she asked how the prioritisation of STEM subjects would affect the focus on history.

Dr D Christians (DA) noted that the Department wanted to introduce professional certification and periodic renewals for teachers, and asked for more information about the timeline of this implementation and whether this would address the gaps in teacher competency. Despite the Department producing many graduates through the Funza Lushaka bursary programme, only half of these graduates were employed. What plans did the Department have to absorb the rest of these graduates, and how would this impact efforts to improve STEM education?

She also inquired about the online teacher development programmes. While registration for these programmes had increased, what steps were being taken to address the diverse professional needs of teachers across provinces? Regarding the three-stream model, how did the Department plan to implement these strategies in rural areas, in particular, to improve student employability? She commented that 13 districts were underperforming in mathematics. What measurable outcomes had been achieved through capacity-building programmes, and what strategies had been implemented to improve outcomes?

Dr Christians was concerned that many provinces were prioritising mathematical literacy over mathematics. She asked what strategies the DBE planned to implement to prioritise mathematics over mathematical literacy, and how this would be checked, particularly considering the difficulties of limited teachers.

Ms P Xaba-Ntshaba (ANC) asked about the Funza Lushaka bursary programme. What were the minimum requirements of the bursary, and what criteria were used for this recruitment? Regarding the 13 underperforming districts, she was unsurprised that rural areas were not provided with the relevant empowerment education. How did the Department plan to develop schools in rural areas? She was also concerned about the high number of foreigners teaching in public schools, despite the high level of unemployed South African graduates. What skills did foreign teachers possess that were not available from South African graduates?

Ms P Ncube (MK), who spoke briefly in the vernacular, said that there were an estimated 30 000 qualified teachers without jobs. What plans did the Department have to employ these teachers on a full-time basis? She also commented that many private colleges still provide qualifications that had been phased out of public universities. Why were these private colleges still allowed to offer qualifications that had been phased out of public universities?

Ms L Ngobeni (Action SA) was pleased to hear the prioritisation of mother-tongue education, given South Africa’s multilingual nature. She appreciated its prioritisation and said that it would allow for greater learner comprehension. She also agreed that the current curriculum was too broad, and said that it possessed a “lot of nothing” and would benefit from streamlining. She questioned the utility of subjects like Life Orientation and said that specialised schools, like agricultural schools, possessed more value for the future employability of students. She also emphasised the importance of history as a subject, and was deeply concerned about many students’ lack of understanding of South African history. Making history compulsory would be crucial in developing a strong nation.

She also asked about the relationship between the DBE and the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU). While unions were valuable, she said that there appeared to be undue influence by SADTU on teaching and learning. What efforts were being made to ensure that this relationship was not detrimental to the Department?

Ms R Mashabela (EFF) said that, after 30 years of democracy, the Department should have completed all its necessary pilot programmes. She said that transformation, rather than pilot programmes, was required. She also asked whether schools were adequately equipped with laboratories and technologies so that the Department could implement its policies effectively.

She was also concerned that the number of teachers employed was much lower than the number of teachers available. She questioned the seriousness of the DBE in tackling the issue of mathematics. If the Department was serious, why was mathematics not made compulsory in all schools?

Dr Christians was concerned about the unsafe nature of educational premises. She mentioned the high and widespread levels of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) occurring in schools, with perpetrators including teachers, security guards and others. Was the Department aware of these issues? Did it plan to have a look at what was happening at the ground level to see why these issues were so widespread? She asked if the Department could give more information about these issues.

Ms Xaba-Ntshaba said many students ended up taking gap years after matric because they did not properly understand the process of Nation Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) registration. Did the Department have a strategy to ensure that students were better prepared and that they understood the registration and late registration processes? Aiding students with this issue could lower the number of students staying at home after matriculating.

Mr Louw echoed many of the aforementioned concerns. He asked how the Department would be monitoring the implementation of their stated policies to ensure effective implementation. He also noted the importance of history as a subject, and the fact that many Funza Lushaka bursary recipients had not been employed. He also asked how the Department planned to collaborate with teachers, students and communities so that their policies could align with current issues.

DBE's response

Ms Geyer began the responses from the Department, and acknowledged that she had experienced some connectivity issues. Regarding private partnerships, she said that the Department had entered into partnerships with private companies in many focus areas, and worked towards providing career paths for students. Students in specific focus areas were brought to work within companies specialising in those areas. She also mentioned the partnership that the Department had with the French in relation to consumer studies.

She referred to the Department's partnerships in developing and testing the efficacy of best-practice approaches. These approaches considered what UNESCO had to offer, and the DBE took recommendations from the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to ensure that its strategies align with international standards.

Regarding the high number of foreign teachers in the public sector, Ms Geyer said that the procedure for hiring teachers required giving first preference to Funza Lushaka graduates, then to NSFAS and self-funded students, and then to others. In other words, first preference was not given to foreign teachers. However, the issue was that STEM subjects were not popular at South African universities, resulting in a shortage of teachers specialising in STEM subjects. In areas where locally skilled teachers were not available, foreign teachers were hired on a contractual basis until South African graduates in scarce skills programmes were able to take over.

Mr Rabotapi apologised for missing some questions due to connectivity issues. Regarding periodic certification as per the NDP mandate, he explained that teachers were responsible for participating in development programmes and achieving 150 ‘development points’ over three years to ensure the renewal of their professional certification. Recertification was therefore theoretically supposed to occur every three years. He acknowledged that the Department had been having issues with recertification due to systems issues, but that they were working with professional councils to address these issues so that they were in line with their NDP goals.

Regarding Funza Lushaka employment issues, he said each province was expected to create a certain number of teaching posts. The Funza Lushaka bursary programme was just one bursary programme available to teachers, and there had been a pushback against prioritising Funza Lushaka graduates in teaching posts as it disadvantaged self-funded graduates and students affiliated with other bursary programmes. The competition from other bursary programmes, coupled with limited teaching posts, meant that not all Funza Lushaka graduates were able to be employed.

Mr Rabotapi said that the Department was investing in digital skills for teachers, but poor connectivity and vandalism served as large setbacks to ensuring the integration of information communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning. The Department has also been providing support to underperforming districts to increase their overall performance.

Regarding the minimum requirements for a Funza Lushaka bursary, students were expected to receive a bachelors’ pass in grade 12 and needed to pass subjects at level four. Students from rural areas may be given priority, and they need to have already been admitted to an institute of higher education. Regarding foreign teachers, many long-term foreign teachers have been in the country long enough to acquire citizenship, and historical issues have resulted in the inability of locals to effectively develop their teaching skills. As the output of graduates increases, new points of employment could be developed. The rate at which the Department was employing foreign teachers had recently slowed.

Regarding support for post-matric funding applications, the only current support provided was the ‘second chance’ given to learners if they did not receive the minimum requirements for tertiary education to improve their admission chances. He said that all grade 12 learners were encouraged to apply.

There were certain priority areas where there was a shortage of teachers. Funza Lushaka bursary holders were usually chosen from rural areas for the sake of their retention in these rural areas. He said there was an oversupply of teachers in areas with no shortages, so the Department needed to focus on these shortages. The Department also aimed to retrain teachers to be redirected to priority areas.

Mr Rabotapi said that the Department worked with all teacher unions, and that this relationship needed regulation. All unions, including SADTU, had a role to play, and while SADTU may receive more money since they were larger, they were not given preference.

On the issue of sexual and gender-based violence, the Department had a code of professional ethics which outlined the expected standard of conduct from its employees. Anyone found to transgress these ethics was expected to receive disciplinary action. These measures were meant to serve as a deterrent to unlawful behaviour.

Regarding the number of teachers in their training programmes, the Department acknowledged that the number of participants was low and it was attempting to expand opportunities for future professional development. Online platforms were used to provide greater access for teachers, as physical training was too expensive in the current context. Before a training programme is loaded on its website, the Department ensures that it complies with Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) guidelines so that it effectively responds to teaching needs. It is important to note that the people who publish the programmes were not the same as those who develop them.

The Chairperson returned from her appointment, and allowed the Department to continue their responses.

Mr Tlhabane said that a list of all the partnerships of the Department would be given to the Committee in due time. Multilateral contracts with other countries would also be provided. He added that the Department had introduced new subjects, such as marine sciences, aviation, robotics and others to widen the curriculum to provide greater variation for students. The three-stream model was meant to allow students greater variation to access employment markets, as the academic stream was oversaturated compared to the other streams.

Dr Reginah Mhaule, Deputy Minister of Basic Education, responded to the issue of making history a compulsory subject. She said that history needed to be made fundamental, and that learners doing STEM subjects would be able to take history and Life Orientation as fundamental subjects. More clarity would be given on the history question in the near future.

She said that, as much as the DBE would like to employ all teachers, many qualified teachers did not have the skills that would apply to the specific needs of certain priority areas. She said unemployed teachers would be employed soon, as many older teachers would be retiring. As a result, higher levels of teacher training were still required.

Regarding KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), all districts in KZN, including the rural areas, had improved. There had been an overall educational improvement in rural areas, and learners from KZN were receiving more distinctions. While the situation was not perfect, there certainly were improvements in the quality of education.

Follow-up discussion

The Chairperson thanked Mr Louw for stepping in while she was away, and allowed for follow-up questions.

Mr L Komane (EFF) spoke in the vernacular, and then said he had been waiting for certain reports from the Deputy Minister concerning previous issues. If need be, he was willing to resend anything required so that the matter could be concluded.

The Chairperson referred to outstanding responses, and said that the Department would be allowed seven days to provide written responses. She thanked the Department for their responses and said that they ought to benchmark their STEM programmes with those of other countries. South Africa needed students with technical skills, and the Department should work to make technical colleges the first choice for many students so that more technically skilled workers could enter the work force in future. She looked forward to the work done by the Department, and allowed them to leave the meeting.

Committee matters

Adoption of minutes

The Chairperson brought up the minutes of previous meetings for adoption.

The first set of minutes was from 13 November, which Mr Louw moved for adoption, seconded by Ms Xaba-Ntshaba. The second set of minutes was from 15 November, which Mr Louw moved for adoption, seconded by Ms Xaba-Ntshaba. The third set of minutes was from 19 November, with Mr Louw proposing their adoption, and being seconded by Ms Ncube.

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the Second Quarterly Report on the Performance of the Department of Basic Education in Meeting its Pre-Determined Objectives for 2024/25

 The Chairperson then had the Committee review the draft report on the second quarterly performance.

Ms Jordaan noted some spelling and grammatical issues within the report, and also asked for more information from the Department regarding learner placements and question paper printing.

The Chairperson noted that the briefing on the question papers would be done by the Department in the first quarter of next year.

Ms T Magagula (ANC) proposed adopting the draft report, with its amendments from Ms Jordaan, and was seconded by Ms Xaba-Ntshaba.

Tender irregularities

The Chairperson noted Ms Ngobeni’s request to have the Department respond to possible tender irregularities. The Committee had received the concern, but timing and scheduling issues limited the feasibility of the request. She reassured Ms Ngobeni that the Committee would follow up on her request.

The meeting was adjourned.