Progress fostering equality
A NUMBER of leaders from institutions spanning banking, academia and telecommunications note that South Africa needs to do more to prepare for the fourth industrial revolution.
This at a juncture when there is considerable global interest about its potential – underpinned by artificial intelligence – to propel economic and social progress. A word of caution is, however, critical. The transformation that the world is going through could reproduce and cement existing inequality.
Indeed, all initiatives to ensure that South Africa benefits from this “great transformation” should not further marginalise those already at the periphery.
The results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), released in late 2016, reflected a poor performance by South Africa pupils in grades 5 and 9. The country was among the five lowest performers in both maths and science. While the study only focused on 59 participating countries, it demonstrates the urgent need to improve the quality of education.
From the TIMSS results, the worst-performing pupils were those at no-fee-paying public schools who most often are from the poorest households.
South African pupils from the independent schools performed the best, followed by those from fee-paying public schools. Gainful employment in many industries of the future requires a grasp of maths and science fundamentals.
The McKinsey Global Institute, in a report last year, notes that across the world about 75 million to 375million workers may need to switch occupational categories by 2030 as a result of automation. A steady stream of capable young people studying in the relevant fields at tertiary and other levels will be crucial if South Africa is to be actively involved in future industries and trajectories.
Without fundamentally improving the accessibility of high quality education to those from the poorest households, the fourth industrial revolution will further reproduce and cement existing inequality. Privileged pupils – by virtue of the homes, schools, and communities they come from – will benefit the most.
High quality teachers and leadership in the school system lead to better pupil outcomes. In public schools, particularly the no-fee-paying entities, the deficiencies in leadership and the quality of teachers requires urgent attention. Even though most school leaders and teachers try their best, they often do not have the necessary skills and training to deliver on the aims of the curriculum. All stakeholders have to explore the opportunities and potential for artificial intelligence to plug these gaps.
The fourth industrial revolution should not only benefit the already privileged. The condition of pupils in some of the poorest schools has to be improved so that they can go on and study in fields that are relevant to the industries of the future.
To spur innovation and to maintain a competitive edge in the fourth industrial revolution requires properly skilled human capital. Developing such capital should, however, not further cement South Africa’s unconscionable levels of inequality. Tamukamoyo is the managing director of the Youth Development Institute of SA – www.ydisa.org.za – a collaborative initiative of the University of Johannesburg and the National Youth Development Agency.