Three out of four grade 6 mathematics teachers in South Africa’s public schools cannot do basic sums at a level of an 11-year-old, according to a new report.<\/p>\n
Nic Spaull, an education researcher at Stellenbosch University, and Professor Hamsa Venkatakrishnan, the South African Numeracy chair at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), published a report based on data from the 2007 SACMEQ study.<\/p>\n
Their research produced the following findings:<\/p>\n
As many as “79% of grade 6 mathematics teachers showed content knowledge levels” below the level at which they were employed to teach.<\/p>\n
The DA called on the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, to develop and implement a truly effective turnaround strategy to address the current state of mathematics in the country.<\/p>\n
However, the political party noted that the report concluded by saying “we would argue that raising student outcomes in mathematics remains a distant pipe dream in South Africa”.<\/p>\n
Annette Lovemore, DA shadow minister of basic education, pointed to a plethora of reports on the state of education in South Africa.<\/p>\n
Last week, a ministerial task team concluded that South Africa has one of the poorest-performing school education systems in the world.<\/p>\n
The ministerial task team also submitted its 188-page report noting the quality of the National Senior Certificate in South Africa.<\/p>\n
It recommended that the education department consider making mathematics a compulsory subject, while it also urged the department to increase the minimum pass rate, which currently stands at 30%.<\/p>\n
The DA also recently found that as many as 327 South African schools are not offering mathematics at a Grade 12 level.<\/p>\n
“The inequity within education is highlighted in the report. Almost half of the maths teachers in our most affluent schools were able to answer questions at Grade 8 and 9 level. In our poorer schools, only 10% of Grade 6 teachers could do so,” said Lovemore.<\/p>\n
“The minister now owes the nation, and particularly every child taking Mathematics at any level in our schools, and every parent of those children, a clear plan of action. She has stated that she has appointed an internal task team to work on the problem. This is highly unlikely to be enough.”<\/p>\n
Changes for SA matric pass mark?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n 327 SA schools say no thanks to mathematics<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n