Early grade literacy key to long-term STEM success, Gwarube tells SAARMSTE conference
Industry leaders, education researchers, and policymakers came together yesterday at the University of Johannesburg for the 34th Annual Conference of the Southern African Association for Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, a major forum focused on strengthening STEM education.
The conference, hosted at UJ’s Bunting Road Campus, brings together delegates from across Africa and the Global South to discuss how mathematics, science and technology education can better respond to the demands of a rapidly changing, technology-driven world.
Running from 19 to 22 January 2026, the gathering places STEM education at the centre of national and continental policy discussions.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube delivered the keynote address, using the platform to call for a stronger focus on literacy and numeracy in the early grades.
Speaking against the backdrop of South Africa’s highest matric pass rate to date, the minister cautioned against measuring success only through examination results.
“The matric pass rate is an important checkpoint, but it is part of a much longer journey,” said Gwarube.
“That journey begins long before a learner ever encounters algebra or physical science. It begins with children learning to read with meaning and to count with confidence.”
She highlighted the findings of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021, which showed that 81% of South African Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language.
Gwarube warned that without strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, efforts to improve performance in mathematics and science would have limited impact.
“Without solid foundations in the early grades, even the most ambitious curriculum reforms, technology investments and funding increases will have limited impact,” she said.
She further shared that her main priority is to improve literacy and numeracy levels in the country.
“Mathematics is not lost in Grade 10 when learners have to make subject choices. It is lost when a learner reaches Grade 4 unable to read fluently, or when basic number sense is never properly established in the early years of schooling. By the time learners are asked to choose subjects, many have already internalised the idea that mathematics is 'not for them'. That belief, far more than ability, drives the flight from mathematics we are all concerned about. My number 1 priority as Minister of Basic Education is to improve literacy and numeracy levels in the country. In pursuit of that objective, we have strategically reorientated the basic education system towards strengthening the foundations of learning.”
Gwarube also challenged the research community attending the conference to ensure that research findings lead to real improvements in classrooms, particularly in under-resourced schools.
“We have to shorten the distance between evidence and implementation,” said Gwarube, calling for stronger alignment between research, policy development, teacher training and classroom practice.
UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi said education systems across Africa are at a critical turning point.
Mpedi urged delegates to rethink how STEM subjects are taught as technology and society evolve faster than traditional classrooms can adapt.
“We are here to reimagine STEM education for a world that will not wait for us to catch up,” said Prof. Mpedi.
He warned that education systems face a clear choice between relevance and innovation, or stagnation and obsolescence.
Drawing on the experience of the UJ Academy, a STEM-focused high school that recently achieved a 100% matric pass rate, Mpedi said success in mathematics and science must be built on deep understanding rather than rote learning.
“Our students will graduate into a world shaped by artificial intelligence, quantum computing and climate change,” he said. “The real question is whether they will shape that future or merely observe it.”The SAARMSTE conference comes at a pivotal time as South Africa and the continent confront rapid global shifts in artificial intelligence, data science and automation, and the growing demand for problem-solving, critical thinking and technological literacy.
Over the next four days, delegates will present research aimed at improving teaching quality, curriculum design and digital integration, reinforcing the conference’s role as a key driver of STEM education reform across Africa.
Saturday Star