South Africa's education system underperformed and failed to support pupils in acquiring skills for learning, Education Minister Naledi Pandor said on Tuesday.

"Our performance in mathematics and science subjects is dismal and we continue to be faced by inadequate infrastructure, poor and inefficient administration in some provinces, and disaffected and demotivated teachers," Pandor said at the University of the Witwatersrand.

"The curriculum changes have been a severely disruptive, yet necessary process," she said.

"All these challenges have an impact on our ability to ensure that learners emerge from our schools ready and able to grapple with university-level study.

The revolving door syndrome

"The inadequate responsiveness of higher education adds to this mix of problems and results in the revolving door syndrome of access and failure that we find in all our universities."

Pandor described the throughput statistics of many of universities as "extremely worrying".

However, she noted that vice chancellors were giving dedicated attention to the development of strategies which would support student retention and success.

She said several factors contributed to the mismatch between success at school and success at university.

Schools did not help pupils become competent in the language of learning at university, first-year students often struggled with a high demand for independent research and self-directed learning, and many experienced a deep culture shock on arriving at university.

Much more had to be done by schools and universities to address these gaps, said Pandor.

"South Africa should not repeat the history of other systems that have taken decades to overcome discrimination and disadvantage."

Places of "principles and values"

She said higher institutions could and should also do much more to instil the constitutional values of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society founded on equality, human dignity and mutual respect.

"These values are absent in many of our educational institutions...

"Students and staff should know that when they enter our universities and schools they enter places where principles and values exist in mission statements and in practice and that authorities will act strongly if there is a breach."

Pandor said recent research indicated that more attention also be given to the links between education, employment and entrepreneurship.

"Employers complain about the language competence of our graduates, they also refer to poor work ethic and to the absence of analytical skills."

Increased attention also had to be paid to modernising university curricula.

"All students should have a working knowledge of at least one of the indigenous languages of South Africa.

"They should also learn one or more modern languages and get an introduction to African history and civilisation."

Pandor said that, on the positive side, the challenge of access to schooling had been addressed, significant resources were being devoted to education, and education options increased.

Sapa