The number of books at their homes, whether there are flush toilets, whether they are victims of bullying and the quality of the pre-schools they attend could all add up to Johnny or Sipho growing up to become a mathematics boffin or science dud.

Most of South Africa’s children are not doing well in those two key school subjects, suggesting that the “building blocks” of schooling are still in disarray.

The results of the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study released yesterday show that the millions being pumped into free childhood development programmes are not yielding hoped-for results. https://d01de8f983697bcfa816a7c991bdd57a.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

The report, released in Pretoria by the Human Sciences Research Council and Department of Basic Education, is a global study comparing maths and science literacy in 57 countries, and the outcomes in Grades 5 and 9.

South Africa scored at the lower end of the spectrum, among countries such as Morocco, Jordan and Kuwait, registering a slight improvement from “very low to low” since the last survey in 2011.

The average Grade 9 maths result was 372. In Singapore it was 621. Botswana is also ahead, with a score of 391 for Grade 9 maths.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Tuesday put a determinedly upbeat spin on an international study that placed South Africa right at the bottom for science and second last for maths, saying she was pleased with the results because South Africa had improved more than any other country. The Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) is published by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and is the world’s longest-running assessment of maths and science education. It is carried out every four years and the results of its 2015 study, which included 59 countries, were released on Tuesday. The tests are administered to grade 4 and grade 8 pupils in most countries, but in South Africa they are done by pupils in grades 9 and 5 instead. Grade 9 and grade 5 pupils came second last in maths, while grade 9s were at the bottom of the pile in science, trailing other African countries such as Botswana and Morocco.

From pre-primary to bullying, negatives weigh against bright futures for pupils

The number of books at home, whether there is a flush toilet, if they are victims of bullying and the kind of pre-school they attend could all contribute to Johnny or Sipho growing up to become a mathematics boffin or a science dud.

The results of the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, released yesterday, suggest the millions being pumped into free childhood development programmes in South Africa are not yielding the expected results.

In this year’s medium-term budget speech, R663-million was allocated over the next three years to increase the programme allowing more young children to access pre-school education.

And it is badly needed, the trends report – released in Pretoria by the Human Sciences Research Council and the Department of Basic Education – showed, as this was an area of considerable concern.

The study compares the outcomes in tests of Grade 5 and Grade 9 pupils.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s media statement in response to TIMSS 2015 Results

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 study point towards a steady but upward trajectory of the education sector. Within the context of a maturing democratic education system, there is much to be appreciated and much to be done. The values and targets we have set ourselves through the National Development Plan embolden us to strive for academic excellence in prioritised areas of Mathematics and Science.

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on Tuesday released the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2015 results‚ which compares standardised maths and science test results of SA’s Grade 9 pupils with pupils in 36 countries.

Director-general of the Department of Basic Education Mathanzima Mweli called the results “sweet and sour”.

About 12‚500 Grade 9 learners at almost 300 schools were tested and their results compared to results in South Africa in 2011‚ 2003‚ 1999 and 1995. https://cb511277ec7cfb2929b7ad1d5fb77c87.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

The average among Grade 9 learner score is 362‚ an improvement from 332 in 2011 – 400 is seen as an acceptable pass.

In 1996‚ the average score in Grade 9 was 280.

South African scores are at the bottom of the countries tested among Morocco‚ Saudi Arabia‚ and Jordan.

South Africa’s Grade 5 and 9 pupils continue to lag behind in mathematics and science when compared to their international counterparts, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The five lowest-performing countries were Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Africa, and Kuwait, said Dr Vijay Reddy, principal investigator of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 Grade 5 study and executive director at the Human Sciences Research Council. https://ee219f0b360f3f0d72aa13d1a0bd9a35.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

The top five countries were from East Asia: Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan, according to the TIMSS 2015 study.

Within South Africa, the Western Cape, Gauteng, and Mpumulanga were the best-performing provinces. The three worst performers were North West, Limpopo, and Eastern Cape.

Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga says the department is very pleased with the consistent improvements seen in the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

“This independent study gives an encouraging account of how we measure up in a widely recognised international testing programme aimed largely at assessing whether countries are making progress in education over time,” said the Minister at the release of the results of the study on Tuesday.

She said the TIMSS 2015 study points towards a steady but upward trajectory of the education sector.

Pretoria — The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) will release the results of the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) on Tuesday.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and her Deputy Enver Surty will be attending the release of the TIMSS results at an event in Pretoria.