The Future of Education

Like many other countries in the world, South Africa is striving to prepare its young people for the opportunities and challenges that come with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). One of the main focuses of this initiative is the incorporation of digital technologies into education. Educators must effectively use technology in the classroom to raise a generation of learners that are prepared for the evolving demands of the modern workforce. The World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that 65 percent of pupils entering primary schools now will eventually work in completely new industries or jobs that do not currently exist because of the changes brought about by digital transformation. This is due to the numerous changes brought about by digital transformation. This study examines the effects of digitization on South African secondary school education, particularly considering the lack of adequate educator`s digital skills, lack of adequate staffing, country's high inequality and exclusion rates, as well as its poor funding, and lack of a clear, comprehensive national strategy from the Department of Basic Education. This research aims to investigate the current status of digital skill for South African secondary school eduactors and how it affects the adoption of a curriculum meant to fulfill the demands of the 4IR era. The study contributes to the ongoing discussions on how best South African secondary school can take advantage of new technologies by training educators with digital skills.  Data collection for the study is ongoing and follows a mixed methods approach which strikes a balance between the breadth of challenges faced by secondary schools due to lack of adequate educator`s digital skills as well as in-depth understanding of the way schools are handling these challenges. Some indicators of inadequate educator`s skills in education are literacy levels, school completion rates, student-to-teacher ratios, the quantity, and credentials of instructors, and the accessibility of various resources. There is a need to assess the effect of inadequate digital skills in South African secondary schools that are affecting the implementation of curriculum that is relevant in the 4IR Era.