Page 54 - IRMSA Risk Report 2020

4.3.7
F AIL URE T O DE VEL OP, AT TR A C T AND / OR RE TAIN TALENT

DUE TO AN INEFFECTIVE NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM (POOR SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE, POOR TEACHING
SKILLS, INEQUALITY, LACK OF TRANSFORMATION) ACCESS TO SKILLS MAY FURTHER DECLINE, NEGATIVELY
IMPACTING INVESTMENT, GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT AND CRIME.

SCENARIOS FLAGS RISK RANKING OVER LAST 5 YEARS

Leadership RANKING SCALE
Institutional capacity 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Politics
SPRING OF HOPE
Social cohesion
National policy
FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT...OR NOT? Service delivery ANNUAL RANKING
Inequality 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
NOT
NOT
Economy RANKED RANKED
PERPETUAL HANGOVER
Global trends
Climate
Skills development in SA has been lacking due to challenges in early childhood development, lack of infrastructure,
inadequate teaching skills, lack of transformation, inequality, poverty, high unemployment and low absorption of tertiary
qualified individuals in the economy. Whilst SA grapples with these basic requirements, the rest of the world is taking
advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and artificial intelligence.

TOP 5 CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVING TOP 5 RISK TREATMENT OPTIONS AND
TARGETS OPPORTUNITIES
1. The South African education system as it currently stands, whilst 1. Ensure that the proposed NHI has creative solutions to addressing
it aims at equality, perpetuates the inherited socio-economic Early Childhood Development requirements to facilitate
disadvantage. expedited learner development later.
2. Inadequate teacher content knowledge and significant reading 2. Re-introduce Teachers Training Colleges to improve teacher
deficits in primary schools. competency (prior to appointment) and standards and consider
3. Rapid technology change in production creates an increased importing experienced teachers in the short to medium term.
bias towards skill-intensive employment demand. 3. Link education opportunities to the country’s needs, as identified
4. Highly stressed education infrastructure due to increasing in SONA and the NDP. Embed closer cooperation between, SETAs,
urbanisation and immigration. corporates, and education institutions to address challenges in
5. The concentration of unemployed among the youth and matching supply and demand as well as to prepare for the 4IR
individuals without tertiary education contributes to the and artificial intelligence.
intergenerational persistence of inequality. 4. Increase absorption rates through workplace skills development
(WSP) and work integrated learning (WIL) programmes.
5. Stepping up efforts to encourage learners to pick vocational
training over university degrees, specifically in the agricultural and
services industries.

FAC TS AND FIGURES
• ±25 000 skilled people leave SA each year (~68 people per day);
• The World Economic Forum ranks SA last out of 140 economies in our quality of maths and science education;
• Only 30% of adults (aged 20+) in SA have Grade 12 or the equivalent (only half of children who enrol in Grade 1 make it to Grade 12);
• Public schools (>90% of all schools) do not have equipment/facilities needed for effective learning in science subjects.

Source: Graph from Daily Maverick Article, by David Kaplan entitled “Packing for Perth:, Skills flight is a reality and we must plan for it”, 3 October 2019.