A Broken Promise for Gifted Learners: Re-Examining the National Strategy for Mathematical Sciences in South Africa Two Decades Later

Abstract

The National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education [NSMSTE] was promulgated two decades back with the aim of improving national excellence in mathematical sciences. Although the initiative has achieved several gains in participation, top-end performance which was targeted has remained alarmingly low at less than 5% annually. This study aimed at an in-depth understanding of how and why top-end performances targets were not achieved. I used an educational production function (EPF) to analyse the factors that were prioritized and those that were ignored in the 20-year implementation period of the strategy. I used a Secondary Qualitative Data Analysis design where I collected recommendations made in 20 sampled documents which had evaluated the strategy. An EPF places student ability as one key factor to be considered early in the primary school suggesting that gifted students should have been identified early before resources were provided. However, results show that the strategy prioritized the provision of external resources without considering the potential of the students. It also targeted low performance high schools instead of primary schools. This could partially explain why the program failed to make a significant impact. This study recommends that the Dinaledi School program focuses on gifted students at primary school level instead of average students at secondary level.