STI in BASIC EDUCATION
IID Seminar: The Uptake of Science, Technology and Innovation by Sector
Departments
20 July 2022
Background covered in DBE responses
• The DBE has a dedicated Directorate for MST, Curriculum Innovation and E-Learning. Staff include MST subject specialists and
programme managers.
• Integrated National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and
Technology (MST) 2019-2030, a National Implementation Plan and nine Implementation Plans for each of the Provincial Education Departments.
• Three-Streams Curriculum Model provides for Technology subjects and other technology-related disciplines, such as Information
Technology and Coding & Robotics.
• “4IR” & “Skills for a changing world” common slogans in describing curriculum priorities
• Focus Schools are being increasingly established to offer specialised Science and Technology oriented subjects.
• The MST Conditional Grant (R391m)
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
3
How the sector plan relates to Sustainable Development Goals and other plans (and reports)
Sector plan
Action Plan to 2024: Towards the realisation of Schooling 2030
(access, redress, equity, inclusivity, quality, & efficiency) Medium Term Strategic
Framework (MTSF) NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PLAN (NDP)
DBE and PED five-year strategic plans
DBE and PED annual performance
plans
Periodic reports on progress in the sector (see e.g., 2011 and 2013
reports on DBE website) DBE and PED
annual reports Presidency
Independent analysis conducted by
DBE
PED quarterly sector reports
UNESCO 2030 AGENDA & CESA
2016-25 on the AFRICAN AGENDA
2063
External evaluations
of key programmes;
SONAs
6
Sector plan
Action Plan to 2024: Towards the realisation of Schooling 2030 (access,
redress, equity, inclusivity, quality, &
efficiency)
Goals 1 to 13:
Improvement of Learning Outcomes - Improve learning
outcomes in Language,
Mathematics and Science as measured in Grades 3, 6, 9 and 12
- Ensure full access to compulsory
schooling
- Decrease grade repetition and retention
- Improve access to FET colleges
- Improve quality of Grade R
Goals 14 to 27:
Support the improvement of learning outcomes
1 2
3
4 5
6
8 7
9
10 11
13 12
15 14 16
17 18 19 21
23
20 22
24
25
26 27
7
STRATEGIC THRUST
COMPARISON OF PREVIOUS SONA Focus areas
Focus on ECD planning and funding
Improving educational
outcomes
Feb 2021 Feb 2020
Migration of ECD
Lessen Covid-19 related school
disruptions
Fourth Industrial Revolution and ICTS/Operation
Phakisa
12
Improving school readiness and safety LSEN
Support:
SASL as HL
Competencies and Skills for a Changing World Coding &
Robotics
Early Learning:
Reading &
Numeracy
Early Learning:
Reading &
Numeracy
COMPARISON OF PREVIOUS SONA Focus areas
Lessen Covid-19 related school
disruptions
Feb 2021 Feb 2022
Focus on ECD planning and
funding
Early Learning:
Reading &
Numeracy
Improving educational
outcomes
Improving school readiness and safety
Teacher Assistants
Special Purpose Vehicle to deliver school infrastructure
Learning Recovery
13
Different purposes of ICT in education
– ICTs for Administration which require its own capacity, storage/ maintenance and implementation strategies – ICT for professional development
– ICTs for Learning
– ICTs for Technology Subject learning
– ICTs for Non-technological Subject learning
Percentage of Grade 12 candidates in
niche technology subjects
The lessons of COVID-19
• The need for real-time monitoring – towards a modernized SA SAMS
• School closures and rotational timetabling
• fast-tracking of the provisioning of educational
programming on radio and television, as well as through online platforms.
• However, the level of access to the internet at home proved to be a binding constraint to the possibility of online
learning taking place at any significant scale, with only about 8% of households with children having internet access (excluding smart phones).
• Huge learning losses
• Still not at 80% of schools connected
Innovation to address SA education
• STI is a cross-cutting feature of government work so it can be hard to define and measure
• STI in service of developmental needs
• Goes far beyond ICTs
• Includes developing evidence-based
interventions and reforms that do in fact improve learning
• Agree: We don’t spend enough money on
research and development, broadly defined
66
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
ASSAf Research Repository http://research.assaf.org.za/
B. Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Events F. Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) Seminar Series (incl. Proceedings)
2022
The uptake of science, technology and innovation by sector departments
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) & Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) (2022) The uptake of science, technology and innovation by sector departments.
Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/244 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/244
Downloaded from ASSAf Research Repository, Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
