Minister of Education Naledi Pandor on Tuesday encouraged women to study science and technology — fields where they are ”traditionally under-represented”.
”We encourage women to study in these fields not only because we need women with scientific and technological skills but also because women remain under-represented as teachers and scholars in these disciplines in higher education,” she said in Johannesburg.
She said the government has placed ”specific emphasis” on increasing and improving the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in secondary schools.
To achieve this, the government aims to increase the number of dedicated maths and science secondary schools. In 2001, 102 were established countrywide.
It also plans to improve the teaching of English.
”The lack of proficiency in the language of teaching and learning is a major factor contributing to poor performance in these subjects,” she said.
Qualified teachers, performance targets for schools and greater access to the internet and satellite television are also needed to improve the teaching of maths and science, she said.
Pandor said corporate investment in education is the best means of overcoming national development challenges.
”Education dominates the corporate social investment landscape — about R1-billion or 40% of the R2,5-billion invested each year,” she said. — Sapa