Beneficiaries of the Girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program say it has equipped them with the skills required to confidently pursue careers in a field that millions of young people in South African schools have been found to be avoiding.
The country currently has at least 24 850 schools with 22 381 public schools and 2 469 independent schools. Out of these, 486 do not offer mathematics as a subject.
During her report of the department’s 2024/25 performance to the Basic Education Parliamentary Monitoring Committee, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube reported earlier this year that 10 of the schools not offering the subject were technical schools offering Technical Mathematics, 10 were schools for learners with special educational needs (LSEN) and 462 only offered mathematics literacy.
Schools of specialisation
Gauteng unveiled its 36th school of specialisation (SoS), Ribane-Laka Maths, Science and ICT School of Specialisation in May.
SoS schools were launched in the province to offer a specialised curriculum that will equip with the skills required to close the skills shortage gap in the country.
With only 23% of the STEM workforce in the country being women, Girls in STEM is one of the initiatives by the Melisizwe Computer Lab Project, to support learners with tuition, mentorship and other academically related needs until they go to university.
Girls in STEM was launched in 2021 with its first group of 30 girls who were in Grade 9 at the time and were in the matric class of 2024.
Tracy Ngonyama, a Grade 10 learner from Diepdale Secondary School and a current Girls in STEM cohort, joined the program when she was in Grade 9, says she plans on studying radiography, engineering or robotics after Grade 12 and believes that with enough dedication and being goal-driven, any learner can study pure mathematics and science without being intimidated by the subjects.
“Since I joined Girls in STEM, I have learned about the value of sisterhood because I am a person who is always indoors and, especially after the camp, I got to associate myself with the girls and got close to them to actually share whatever challenge I am facing,” says Ngonyama.
Zia Abdul Salam, Girls in STEM alumni, was encouraged to join the program when she was in Grade 9 at the UJ Academy School of Specialisation and choosing subjects in Grade 10 was an informed decision.
“Our teachers would reply to us at two o’clock in the morning, helping us with maths problems that we just can’t solve, and we had amazing teachers for maths, science, ICT. Our robotics teacher also taught us so much about that world,” she adds.
She is considering studying computer science, coding, software engineering or teaching.
CEO and founder at Melisizwe Computer Lab Project, Candice Kern-Thomas says the poor representation of women in STEM usually starts in high school where girls are not motivated to take up the subjects.
The social enterprise focuses on youth empowerment through computer labs for schools in underserved areas and offers basic computer literacy.
Expanding the Girls in STEM program to St Barnabas Secondary School in Johannesburg and more schools across the country will ensure that more girls receive the support they need to remain in the stream.
According to Kern-Thomas, learners face various challenges when deciding their future in Grade 9 with their parents encouraging them to choose subjects believed to be easier while schools chasing a 100% pass rate convince parents that their children are better suited for other streams instead of STEM.
Resulting in those who initially wanted to choose STEM subjects giving in to the pressure.
“They do not have any support system to say, do not drop it, you can do it. They also do not have a lot of examples of women who have successfully done it,” says Kern-Thomas.
She was speaking at the official launch of the Girls in STEM program on 16 August, under the theme “ LeadHERship: Women Leading Change”, the event aimed to empower the next generation of female leaders and innovators.
The event also featured a youth-led exhibition of different science projects by the Girls in STEM cohort.
The non-profit organisation (NGO) has partnered with the Department of Education and other donors to support SoS in STEM.
HR Executive at e4, Phylla Jele says women from the digital transformation company, have women from the institution mentoring the girls.
Instead of selecting top students when the program was launched, learners who were interested had to write a motivational letter explaining why they should be selected.
A move that was seen as the first step to giving access to every learner.
“We initially started with 30 girls but ended up with 16 of them passing matric with distinctions. We are only taking 10 this year because we realised that mentoring a larger group is overwhelming and we are fortunate that other organisations have joined in to mentor the remaining 20 girls,” explains Jele.Parents are also included in the ecosystem to ensure that the learners receive support from their teachers, parents and mentors.