The Entrust Foundation delivers FUTURE-FIT education impact at disadvantaged Schools in SA

The World Economic Forum indicates that 75% of work in the 21^st Century will require STEM-skills – which are all Mathematics-based. Adding to that, the McKinsey Global Research Institute’s estimate that, by mid-2020’s, there will be a major global skills-gap, with 40 million high-skilled jobs unfilled, 45 million medium-skilled jobs unfilled, and a surplus of 95 million low skill workers globally.

These 21st Century workplace demands present an urgent Call of Action for South Africa, – which was taken up by The Entrust Foundation with its intentional community-work to unlock SA’s human potential; to break inter-generational cycles of poverty and to capacitate a trainable and employable youth.

The current SA mathematics-context (below) is hugely concerning, indicating a clear & critical starting-point to up-skill future-ready youth.

Provincial mathematics result in SA (2022), at a 50% pass (59,450): DBE, Sunday Times 4 February 2023

SAICA: The number of matriculants who passed Mathematics in 2022 with a 50%+ score (59,450) and with a 60%+ score (33,815) – has decreased since 2019 and 2021 (Delia North, University of KZN). This number must be read while recognising that the number of school-starters, 12 years earlier, was close to 1,2 million children.

Emeritus Professor John Webb (UCT) stated that current Math-papers in SA are set at the level of the old “Standard Grade” papers before 1994.  This is detrimental as it does not challenge the bright students AND give mediocre students a false sense of achievement, while they are actually unprepared for university.

Notes:  Many schools protect their pass-rate by advising learners to rather choose Math Literacy – which has long term negative consequences for students (Ashley Goo, Chairperson of the SA Mathematics Challenge) – also mentioned that “quality education in lower grades is essential to assist Math-teaching later”. 

The educational divide between underprivileged public schools and well-resourced private or international schools had grown alarmingly wide.

The pandemic induced schooling-disruption which left an indelible mark on education systems globally. This is most apparent in disadvantaged schools across South Africa. By mid-2022, when schools finally reopened for external visitors after prolonged restrictions, it became clear just how disproportionately these learners had been affected by the pandemic regulations. 

Alarmingly, many learners, despite their significant academic deficits, were automatically promoted to the next grade. This well-intentioned measure had the unfortunate consequence of advancing students without ensuring they had mastered the necessary skills to succeed forward. In practice, this created a generation of learners who are, through no fault of their own, ill-prepared for the demands of higher education or the workforce.

When the Entrust Foundation returned to SA schools in 2023 (post-pandemic), we were confronted with the true extent of this lasting damage. “The backlog in foundational learning, especially in the realm of early childhood development, was staggering. This was particularly evident in the schools we serve—those in rural areas, townships, and inner-city locations—where resources were already stretched thin before the pandemic. It is not just an educational crisis; it is a threat to South Africa’s long-term economic and social development. Human capital is the bedrock of any nation’s progress, and the pandemic has left our most vulnerable children at risk of falling further behind.”

The Entrust Foundation believes that South Africa, like many other developing nations, will struggle to recover unless there is a concerted effort to rebuild and invest in human capacity. Our mission goes beyond the provision of material resources to schools. We recognise that human engagement and long-term relationships are what truly make a difference in tackling educational inequality. We collaborate with school principals, governing bodies, teachers, parents and, in the case of rural schools, even traditional leaders, to ensure our interventions are sustainable and tailored to the unique needs of each school and their wider communities: establishing WINNING schools & communities.

MiniChess at Motshitshi Primary school in rural Limpopo

The Entrust Foundation’s future-focussed education strategies include game-innovations, correcting early backlogs, action-based training methodologies and curriculum enrichment that pivots critical 21^st Century skills – apart from making it fun. Game-based teaching offers a platform for training critical thinking, strategic planning, and problem-solving, technology and coding — skills that are mostly absent from current curricula, while invaluable for life. Clever game-innovations are effective and proven teaching tools, as we are helping youngsters to sharpen their cognitive abilities, develop patience and focus, and improve their decision-making skills. Our aim is not just to foster future champions, but to help students develop mental resilience and academic aptitude that will serve them for life. Our participating schools become top performers in their regions, even in their Province, and one of our rural schools in Limpopo achieved “Top 5” position in a national e-math competition by SAICA! All Entrust Foundation programs are benefitting communities inter-generationally: local youth as interns generating an income, and benefitting schools, teachers, parents, and communities holistically. All of this tackles the deeply entrenched educational inequalities in SA, as we are committed to building a brighter future for SA’s children – over borders of age, gender, language, culture, physical abilities and social standing. 

Various University impact-proof: i) Correcting early developmental backlogs AND ii) Delivering turn-around Mathematics result

We understand that reversing historical negatives in education will take time, but we are dedicated to restoring lost years of education and giving young learners the skills, confidence, and resources they need to thrive. We call on everyone—governments, businesses, and individuals alike — to join us in investing in South Africa’s human capital. Only through collective action can we hope to rebuild what has been lost and ensure a better future for our next generation.