By Linet Kimathi, as a representative of the Bridging the Gap advocacy group and in collaboration with Shahana Bhabha, Kristal Duncan-Williams and James Donald
Post-apartheid South Africa has made immeasurable progress, with many leaps and bounds made over the last 30 years. And yet, the country has not made enough progress to ensure equitable access to quality education for young learners – especially the kind that equips them for a rapidly changing world.
South Africa risks falling behind in the global innovation race if the school curriculum does not prepare young people to thrive in a knowledge economy. Learners need to be empowered with skills to become innovators and entrepreneurs who can drive economic development in the 21st century.
What Are 21st-Century Skills and Competencies?
There is varying language to express the collection of skills necessary for the future, and a common, widely accepted definition for South Africa’s context does not exist. In general, 21st-century skills are a breadth of skills seen as essential for supporting livelihoods in the future, aiming for well-rounded citizens with useful knowledge to last their lifetime.
These skills include communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving; digital skills are considered implicit in this group.
In a similar vein, the department’s DBE-E3 initiative aims to prepare pupils to flourish in a rapidly evolving world by cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets and skills. The programme presents an opportunity to develop a shared vision of what learners exhibiting 21st-century skills can potentially look like and generate a shared understanding of what 21st-century skills are.
Challenges to the Implementation of 21st-Century Skills
One major challenge lies in the lack of a shared understanding and vision of 21st-century skills between stakeholders on the supply side (government and educational institutions) and the demand side (private sector). A coordinated effort is essential for South Africa to nurture future-ready learners.
The private sector, which represents the demand for these skills as a primary employer of skilled individuals, has a significant role to play in influencing the educational direction of the country. Currently, the private sector typically steps in to provide services in underserved schools through infrastructure, learning materials and interventions such as adequate sanitation and feeding schemes.
These initiatives are vital, and their need to continue cannot be overstated. However, involvement in setting the agenda for 21st-century skills development is also crucial. By clearly stating the skills needed in South African industries, the private sector can help shape education to better prepare students for their future jobs and lives. Both sectors need to work together to create a shared vision for young people to reach their full potential.
The Importance of Collaboration
In our experience, dialogue between actors is critical for surfacing different and opposing views. Through collaborating in new and different ways, stakeholders with a common purpose but differing interests can find common ground. This method encourages genuine engagement and the co-creation of solutions. In this instance, there is a common purpose—enabling learners to thrive in the future—and there is an opportunity to establish a common language between private and public sectors to understand the investments needed for young people today.
There are several impactful examples of collaborative initiatives between the government and the private sector that are bearing fruit. Consider the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, a South African initiative that addresses youth unemployment by connecting young people with job opportunities. Harambee has successfully fostered dialogue between various stakeholders, including government, educational institutions, and private sector companies.
Through collaborative efforts, Harambee has helped thousands of young South Africans get jobs by teaching them the skills employers want. This shows how working together can lead to success.
READ MORE: Why is collaboration so critical in science-society interactions, especially in the African context?
Bridging the Gap to 21st-Century Skills
Since January 2022, Save the Children South Africa (SCSA) has worked to create an enabling environment for broader skills to be meaningfully integrated into education systems through the Bridging the Gap project.
Over three years, the Bridging the Gap project has focused on research and multistakeholder collaboration, incorporating learner perspectives to shape advocacy strategies and facilitated dialogue and strengthened communication among the public and private sectors.
To support the shift from commitment to implementation within education systems, SCSA, in collaboration with JET Education Services, published this report. The report explores holistic 21st-century skills by examining their educational and societal relevance. It also analyses South Africa's education policy and the challenges of aligning implementation efforts while emphasising the importance of integrating these skills into teacher training and professional development.
In January 2024, Reos Partners joined the project to help support collective action by bringing together diverse stakeholders to advance 21st-century skills integration in South African classrooms.
From this foundation, current advocacy efforts have emerged, emphasising the importance of fostering robust dialogue and strengthening communication channels to clarify what is needed in both the public and private spheres.
A key insight from the project has been the strong alignment and appreciation for the overarching vision and spirit of 21st-century skills. As one advocacy group member expressed:
“Before [this project], 21st-century skills were out there. It’s brought 21st-century skills right in here. This lives in my heart now. I speak it every day. I see it every day. That’s what this work means to me.”
This sentiment reflects the deep impact of the initiative—not only in shaping policies and strategies but in embedding these skills into the lived experiences of educators, learners, and advocates alike.
On December 3, 2024, Save the Children South Africa and Reos Partners hosted a workshop to reflect on the Bridging the Gap project. Participants unpack key insights and share their thoughts on shaping the future of education.
Advocating for 21st-Century Skills on Both Sides
SCSA has been working on creating an enabling environment for holistic skills development within the South African education system. By bringing stakeholders from the education ecosystem, the private sector, and the government together, the organisation creates opportunities for robust dialogue among different groups. This collaboration aims to promote better alignment and establish a shared agenda that centres learners.
Continuous dialogue between the private sector, government and schools will help develop a shared narrative on what to invest in for young people, leading to clearer roles for all sides. The voices of business, industry and employers can help ensure that the skills taught in schools align with the skills young people need to enter and participate in successful economic futures. This can highlight key areas for improvement, unlock flashpoints for change, and provide valuable insights for developing policies.
The private sector needs to take a more significant role in shaping education so the government knows what’s missing in graduates. Meanwhile, the public sector should invest in developing these skills systemically and holistically to meet industry needs.
Through coordinated efforts and open communication, we can bridge the gap to creating an education system that truly prepares young South Africans for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century and launches them into successful futures in industry, entrepreneurial settings, and life after school.
This article was first published in Trialogue Knowledge Hub.
