PETER COURTNEY AND CLAIRE BISSEKER: Missing mathematicians — why SA must back bright, black learners
Focusing on a small cohort of high-potential pupils at an early stage is the cheapest way to accelerate their development
31 January 2025 - 05:00
byPeter Courtney and Claire Bisseker
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The recent matric results have placed SA’s education system under the spotlight.
It is widely accepted that an education is one of the most powerful ways to uplift people and transform societies, but not just any education will do. Several studies show it is the quality of education that drives economic development, not pass rates or years of schooling. Countries with better quality education grow faster.
In the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study (Timss), SA Grade 4 pupils finished last in both mathematics and science. And, as several studies show, there is a strong correlation between economic growth and test scores.
In Western Cape state schools about 23,000 black pupils took the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam, but only 100 earned an A in maths. Similarly, just 168 out of about 27,000 coloured pupils achieved distinctions in maths.
The challenge is how to build an education system that produces higher quality pass marks, particularly in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects, so pupils are better equipped for tertiary study and the demands of the job market.
According to the UN Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation, SA invests an exceptional 6.5% of its GDP in public education, ranking 18th globally, with teacher salaries consuming about R1 of every R10 of government expenditure. Our progressive tax system relies heavily on a small cohort of top earners who were likely high academic achievers in their youth.
SA has some of the highest returns to education in the world. Investing in high-potential students could, therefore, have an outsize effect in improving the fiscal sustainability of public education. Moreover, equity would be enhanced if historically disadvantaged pupils were targeted.
In short, investing in the brightest pupils in the poorest schools could simultaneously advance equity and long-term economic growth.
Another problem is that many school-leavers, despite having achieved bachelor pass rates, are still unprepared for university. This is one of the reasons only 20% of black university entrants complete three year degrees on time. So, simply expanding the number of bachelor passes is not going to cut it.
A more surgical strategy is to identify academically gifted Grade 6 pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and support them so that they can attend top-performing high schools.
The Western Cape is well suited to run such a programme as it is the only province to conduct systemic assessments at primary school. This would allow it to pinpoint exceptionally bright Grade 6 pupils in maths who would then receive fee support, transport and psychosocial services to thrive in the province’s top public high schools.
On average, quintile five high schools already meet international benchmarks — Timss’ 2019 data place them on a par with Norway, while the provincial average aligns more with Morocco. By selecting 300 high-performing Grade 6 pupils each year and nurturing them through the top secondary schools, it may be possible to double the number of those achieving standout results over five years. (Magnet schools in the US have shown that well-targeted investments can produce outsize gains.)
We also need black elites — academically gifted students who become tomorrow’s leaders, doctors, accountants, engineers (and taxpayers) and who can plough back support into their communities.
Top state schools in the Western Cape charge R30,000-R80,000 a year. Factoring in transport and additional school-related expenses, a more realistic estimate of the cost per pupil is about R100,000 a year. Funding 1,500 pupils at that rate would total about R150m a year — just 0.5% of the province’s R30.5bn education budget.
These costs could be covered through government-funded scholarships, philanthropy, private tax-deductible donations or a central matching fund where private donations are doubled either by the government or a large nonprofit organisation.
Bringing academically talented pupils to the best schools need not be unfeasible. In the Western Cape there are likely at least 300 pupils meeting the criteria who already perform well enough to manage the academic transition without extensive external help. For those who do require additional bridging, top-performing schools are perhaps best equipped to provide extra classes or tutoring. This approach is far more cost-effective than expecting under-resourced schools to develop these advanced capabilities on their own.
Socio-emotional support is perhaps more crucial. Shifting to a high-achieving school is likely to be emotionally taxing. The programme would need dedicated counsellors to help pupils navigate socio-emotional hurdles, equipping them with strategies to allow them to flourish in these new environments. This would ensure that bright children do not slip through the cracks simply because of their background.
Importantly, this proposal neither neglects nor derails broader improvements to education. We also need black elites — academically gifted students who become tomorrow’s leaders, doctors, accountants, engineers (and taxpayers) and who can plough back support into their communities. Focusing on a smaller cohort of high-potential pupils at an early stage is the cheapest way to accelerate their development into this leadership cadre, especially compared with waiting for the entire system to rise to the same standard.
Finally, a programme of this kind shifts priorities away from the matric pass rate towards earlier learning, creating more accountability for primary school outcomes. By investing in a visible group of future high performers, the hope is that the system as a whole would gain momentum from their successes.
Ultimately, raising top talent from disadvantaged backgrounds is not a zero-sum game; it can spark broader improvements while cultivating a new generation of black South African leaders.
• Courtney, a PhD candidate at the Vrije University Amsterdam, is with the Research on Socioeconomic Policy unit at Stellenbosch University. Bisseker is an economic writer and researcher at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
PETER COURTNEY AND CLAIRE BISSEKER: Missing mathematicians — why SA must back bright, black learners
Focusing on a small cohort of high-potential pupils at an early stage is the cheapest way to accelerate their development
The recent matric results have placed SA’s education system under the spotlight.
It is widely accepted that an education is one of the most powerful ways to uplift people and transform societies, but not just any education will do. Several studies show it is the quality of education that drives economic development, not pass rates or years of schooling. Countries with better quality education grow faster.
In the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study (Timss), SA Grade 4 pupils finished last in both mathematics and science. And, as several studies show, there is a strong correlation between economic growth and test scores.
In Western Cape state schools about 23,000 black pupils took the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam, but only 100 earned an A in maths. Similarly, just 168 out of about 27,000 coloured pupils achieved distinctions in maths.
The challenge is how to build an education system that produces higher quality pass marks, particularly in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects, so pupils are better equipped for tertiary study and the demands of the job market.
According to the UN Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation, SA invests an exceptional 6.5% of its GDP in public education, ranking 18th globally, with teacher salaries consuming about R1 of every R10 of government expenditure. Our progressive tax system relies heavily on a small cohort of top earners who were likely high academic achievers in their youth.
SA has some of the highest returns to education in the world. Investing in high-potential students could, therefore, have an outsize effect in improving the fiscal sustainability of public education. Moreover, equity would be enhanced if historically disadvantaged pupils were targeted.
In short, investing in the brightest pupils in the poorest schools could simultaneously advance equity and long-term economic growth.
Another problem is that many school-leavers, despite having achieved bachelor pass rates, are still unprepared for university. This is one of the reasons only 20% of black university entrants complete three year degrees on time. So, simply expanding the number of bachelor passes is not going to cut it.
A more surgical strategy is to identify academically gifted Grade 6 pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and support them so that they can attend top-performing high schools.
The Western Cape is well suited to run such a programme as it is the only province to conduct systemic assessments at primary school. This would allow it to pinpoint exceptionally bright Grade 6 pupils in maths who would then receive fee support, transport and psychosocial services to thrive in the province’s top public high schools.
On average, quintile five high schools already meet international benchmarks — Timss’ 2019 data place them on a par with Norway, while the provincial average aligns more with Morocco. By selecting 300 high-performing Grade 6 pupils each year and nurturing them through the top secondary schools, it may be possible to double the number of those achieving standout results over five years. (Magnet schools in the US have shown that well-targeted investments can produce outsize gains.)
Top state schools in the Western Cape charge R30,000-R80,000 a year. Factoring in transport and additional school-related expenses, a more realistic estimate of the cost per pupil is about R100,000 a year. Funding 1,500 pupils at that rate would total about R150m a year — just 0.5% of the province’s R30.5bn education budget.
These costs could be covered through government-funded scholarships, philanthropy, private tax-deductible donations or a central matching fund where private donations are doubled either by the government or a large nonprofit organisation.
Bringing academically talented pupils to the best schools need not be unfeasible. In the Western Cape there are likely at least 300 pupils meeting the criteria who already perform well enough to manage the academic transition without extensive external help. For those who do require additional bridging, top-performing schools are perhaps best equipped to provide extra classes or tutoring. This approach is far more cost-effective than expecting under-resourced schools to develop these advanced capabilities on their own.
Socio-emotional support is perhaps more crucial. Shifting to a high-achieving school is likely to be emotionally taxing. The programme would need dedicated counsellors to help pupils navigate socio-emotional hurdles, equipping them with strategies to allow them to flourish in these new environments. This would ensure that bright children do not slip through the cracks simply because of their background.
Importantly, this proposal neither neglects nor derails broader improvements to education. We also need black elites — academically gifted students who become tomorrow’s leaders, doctors, accountants, engineers (and taxpayers) and who can plough back support into their communities. Focusing on a smaller cohort of high-potential pupils at an early stage is the cheapest way to accelerate their development into this leadership cadre, especially compared with waiting for the entire system to rise to the same standard.
Finally, a programme of this kind shifts priorities away from the matric pass rate towards earlier learning, creating more accountability for primary school outcomes. By investing in a visible group of future high performers, the hope is that the system as a whole would gain momentum from their successes.
Ultimately, raising top talent from disadvantaged backgrounds is not a zero-sum game; it can spark broader improvements while cultivating a new generation of black South African leaders.
• Courtney, a PhD candidate at the Vrije University Amsterdam, is with the Research on Socioeconomic Policy unit at Stellenbosch University. Bisseker is an economic writer and researcher at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).
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