The Dinaledi project, which aims to boost pupils’ performance in maths and science, is finally showing signs of progress, almost 10 months after its launch in June last year.
Dinaledi (seSotho for “stars”) is being piloted in 102 selected schools in the country. “The dedicated schools were chosen from under-resourced, well-performing schools and those with potential to improve participation and performance in maths and science,” says Nelvis Qekema, representative of Deputy Minister of Education, Mosibudi Mangena.
Mangena, himself a mathematician, has taken charge of the process. “The understanding is that the 102 schools should aim for the stars,” Qekema says. “They are our schools of excellence that will require special attention from the Department of Education [DoE] in terms of infrastructure resources.”
Until now that special attention has been in limited supply, with one principal not aware that her school was a maths and science school until she read about it in the media.
Moeketsi Tsoaela, principal of Mohloli Secondary School in Sharpeville, near Johannesburg, agreed that until recently being on the project meant very little to his school. That was until an autumn clinic early in April attended by Minister of Education Kader Asmal, Mangena, teachers and principals from all the 102 schools. It was there that the new name for the project was agreed upon.
The clinic provided a platform for all 102 schools to share experiences, problems and solutions. “The group was made up of teachers from schools who have delivered. They were introduced to teachers from other schools,” Qekema says. “They have learned from schools that have been able to do things without labs and with teachers who aren’t specialist maths and science teachers. That sharing of ideas was our main goal.”
But that was only the beginning. The DoE has also circulated a questionnaire to find out what skills gaps exist among educators in the group and to finalise teacher profiles. Service providers working with the DoE, like universities and technikons, will be provided with this information. They will then develop programmes to improve the skills of these teachers.
“The problem is that African educators have their own problems, including a lack of experience in science experiments,” Qekema says. “There are also under- and unqualified teachers. This leads to mediocrity.”
The DoE is trying to remedy the problem of a lack of hands-on experience by supplying each school with 10 basic science kits.
“Labs are ideal but for the moment the kits will be the main provision,” Qekema says. And it shouldn’t be too long before long-term solutions are implemented, judging by the generosity of corporate partners and sponsors that have supported the project with vital resources.
But one of the original partners that did not come through for the programme was the Cuban government. “The agreement was that they would come and train a cluster of teachers but that was suspended as the cost was too high,” Qekema says.
While the issue of training existing teachers appears to be under control, attracting top maths and science students to
the teaching profession remains a tricky one. The department cannot compete with large corporates offering science graduates high salaries .
There is very little else the DoE can do, short of offering top students bursaries to study as maths and science teachers, which Dinaledi is planning.
A follow-up clinic for the Dinaledi schools will give the pilot project further momentum in its quest to develop a sustainable model for all schools within three years.