THE World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness index for 2015-2016 ranks 140 countries for the quality of their maths and science education.SA is last."SA is one of the most unequal countries in the world. One of the ways this plays out is the huge disparity in academic achievement in maths and science between well-and under-resourced schools," says Joy Olivier, founder and director of IkamvaYouth."Without equipping learners from low-income areas to excel in maths and science, we are not only haemorrhaging much-needed talent, but ensuring the perpetuation of unequal access to high-paying careers."Because maths and science education provides critical skills for a range of jobs, Olivier believes that a steady flow of learners eligible for engineering, the sciences, or business degrees is essential for SA’s ability to innovate and to build its economy. But, as was the case with the recent visa regulations, many well-intentioned government policies have had unintended negative conseq...
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