The Production of High Level Science, Engineering and Technology Skills – Role of the Dinaledi Project

This paper analyses to what extent the production of engineers is severely constrained, by the low capacity of the high school sector to deliver matriculants with higher grade qualifications in mathematics, and also of primary schools to develop an adequate foundation in literacy and numeracy. Government is attempting to address this problem in the long term through an improvement in the quality of primary schooling. It is also, through the Dinaledi project, attempting to provide short-term improvement in the supply of high quality matriculants to the higher education system. This paper looks at the role of Dinaledi, its impact to date and the prospects of its expansion.