There is a simple way to bring maths and science up to speed
• Allow foreign teachers to work in this country on short-term permits
Intellectual property is the oil of the 21st century — but not so much for SA, as things stand. The first part of this statement is by Mark Getty, the cofounder of Getty Images and grandson of oil magnate J Paul Getty; it emphasises the value of ideas in an economy gearing up for the future.
Uttered in 2000, it rings true today, given the growing influence of disruptive technologies and the onset of digital innovation. Yet SA could be confined to the fringes of the march to this new world, unable to keep up with the rest of the crowd.
Much of the blame falls on the Department of Basic Education’s inability to reverse its poor outcomes in maths and science education, which is the critical link to innovation and an ideas-driven economy.
Consistent underperformance in maths and science will not go away, making it a critical public policy matter that needs immediate attention and innovative solutions. It is all the more urgent considering that SA has ambitions to become a developmental state such as Singapore and South Korea, whose economic miracles were founded on technical competence, beginning with an emphasis on maths and science education.
An immediate solution for SA might not be too far off, and it is incredibly simple. It entails granting foreign teachers shortterm permits to work in the country. There is plenty of room to learn from top-performing countries — and others.
Take Zimbabwe. Although its economy is in serious decline, its government’s investment in teachers following independence paid off when the economy collapsed and educated people fled the country in search of opportunities elsewhere.
Decades ago, following the country’s liberation, millions of children benefited from the Zimbabwean government’s openness and foresight in welcoming foreign teachers.
Importing high school teachers for maths and science was established as a policy immediately after independence and went a long way towards filling gaps, improving outcomes and establishing a basis for strong results into the future.
At my high school, we had several foreign teachers, including Mr Duly and Mr Rawson, from the UK and Ireland, respectively. Not all taught maths and science. But some, like Mr Jaganath — who had come all the way from India — changed the way we looked at numbers and helped us understand them forever.
ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT FOREIGN TEACHERS ARE SCREENED FOR COMPETENCE AND SUITABILITY
A friend from a neighbouring school spoke highly of Mr Marsh from Sri Lanka, who taught geography and music, and a Mr Neil from the UK, who improved their appreciation of rugby.
It is unclear who paid for these teachers’ stay in Zimbabwe, but it is likely that it followed bilateral agreements.
However, it was no coincidence that most came from fellow Commonwealth countries, with similar educational systems. Perhaps some found their own way as young adventurers looking to explore the world.
All that matters is that foreign teachers are screened for competence and suitability, including an appreciation of diversity and local customs.
Given the high unemployment rate in SA, the government could restrict foreign teachers to just maths and science — which could prevent the teachers’ unions from reacting badly, as they are bound to. It is quite possible, however, that the Depart- ment of Home Affairs does already grant special visas for foreign teachers, especially maths and science specialists. But clearly, this does not go far enough since the outcomes are not showing much, if any, improvement.
Nic Spaull, a senior researcher in the economics department at Stellenbosch University, says countries such as South Korea recruit foreign teachers of English because they know they have a shortage of teachers in the subject.
“I don’t see how our situation in maths and science is any different,” Spaull says.
“In SA, we know that there is a critical shortage of knowledgeable maths and science teachers at all levels of the system. Research that we’ve done has shown that 79% of grade 6 maths teachers in SA cannot do grade 6 or [grade] 7 maths.
“If there are qualified and knowledgeable maths and science teachers from other countries who want to work, they should be allowed to do so.”
Foreign teachers are not a long-term solution for SA’s education failures. Some might not perform, others may not be committed. Spaull remarks: “We would need some way of determining which teachers have the knowledge and skill to teach these critical subjects, like a board exam.”
The maths and science situation is so dire that when the government meets its responsibility to find new solutions they — if successful — would change the country’s schools culture.
It is a system responsible for embedding a 30% pass rate and settling for “maths literacy” as the easier solution, giving the impression that it is okay to be bad at maths.
This attitude is not acceptable, not least because avoiding the problem is denying the majority of pupils the opportunity to become doctors, actuaries or scientists.
It is true that SA’s attainment in the two subjects is still way below that of countries that spend much less on education. So, an improvement would, for once, also give taxpayers value for their money.
For Zimbabwe, another benefit of having had foreign teachers was that they were not as choosy about where they were deployed.
Many gladly accepted positions in townships and even in the rural areas, helping to close the quality gap between rich and poor.
It is time that the South African government opens itself up to new ways of solving the maths and science crisis, beginning with making it easy for qualified teachers to work in the country.