As South Africa reflects on its record matric results to date, the Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube has reiterated her call for strong focus on literacy and numeracy in the early grades. She said only a solid foundation in these areas will ensure meaningful learning and long-term success for learners.

Gwarube gave the keynote address today at the opening of the 34th Annual Conference of the Southern African Association for Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (SAARMSTE). The conference takes place at the University of Johannesburg (UJ)’s Bunting Road Campus and brings together leading researchers, policymakers and education practitioners from across Africa and the global South.

Running from 19 to 22 January 2026, the conference places STEM education firmly in the national and continental spotlight at a time when South Africa is confronting urgent questions about teaching quality, learner performance and the skills needed for an increasingly complex, technology-driven future.

Gwarube, delivered the keynote address with a clear policy message at a moment of national reflection following the announcement of South Africa’s highest matric pass rate to date. While welcoming the achievement, the Minister cautioned strongly against using examination outcomes as the sole measure of educational success.

“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.”

According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021, 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language, up from 78% in 2016. This means that only 19% of South African Grade 4 children could read for meaning in any language in 2021 (all 11 languages were assessed).

In a pointed message that resonated strongly with policymakers and researchers alike, the Minister warned that without solid foundations in literacy and numeracy in the early grades, even the most ambitious curriculum reforms, technology investments and funding increases would have limited impact. She emphasised that improving participation and performance in mathematics and science requires sustained, long-term focus rather than short-term interventions.

Gwarube challenged the research community to ensure that evidence generated through studies and conferences translates into real change in classrooms, particularly in the most under-resourced and challenging schooling environments. “We have to shorten the distance between evidence and implementation,” she said, calling for stronger alignment between research, policy development, teacher education and everyday teaching practice. Education reform, she stressed, is not about quick wins, but about patience, accountability and sustained collaboration.

UJ’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, who gave the opening and welcome remarks, issued a strong challenge to the sector, calling on delegates to rethink how STEM education is taught in a world evolving faster than traditional classrooms can keep pace. He warned that education systems across Africa are at a critical tipping point, facing a choice between relevance and innovation on the one hand, and stagnation and obsolescence on the other.

“We are here to reimagine STEM education for a world that will not wait for us to catch up,” said Prof Mpedi, stressing that the pace of technological and social change leaves little room for complacency and presents African education systems with a stark choice between relevance and obsolescence.

Drawing on UJ’s own experience as a university that also includes a high-performing, STEM-focused high school, the UJ Academy, Mpedi argued that future success in mathematics and science cannot be built on rote memorisation. He emphasised the need for deep conceptual understanding, inclusive access and sustained investment in teaching quality, particularly in disciplines that underpin innovation and economic participation.

Mpedi pointed to the UJ Academy’s recent 100% matric pass rate, achieved with a strong emphasis on STEM and ICT subjects, as evidence of what is possible when learners are supported through rigorous teaching and meaningful engagement with content. “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 2026 conference comes at a pivotal time as South Africa and the continent grapple with 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 new research on curriculum design, digital integration, teaching strategies and equitable access to quality education, aimed at strengthening learner outcomes and long-term competitiveness.

With participants attending from across Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia, today’s opening marks the start of a high-level continental dialogue on how STEM education can better serve learners, economies and societies. “This is long-term work,” the Minister reminded delegates. “The seeds we plant today may not bear fruit in our own lifetimes, but plant them we must.”