SA schools’ maths does not add up

MBOMBELA – Despite the fact that Mpumalanga is the province with the lowest percentage of public ordinary schools offering mathematics for grades 10 to 12, the Department of Education still feels that great strides have been made in the country to reintroduce maths in the FET phase (grade 10, 11 and 12).

According to a press release issued to Lowvelder by Mr Jasper Zwane, provincial spokesman for education on Monday, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said that much has been done to transform the system and that it is “at a point where almost all schools offer mathematics”.

The DBE, however, stated that the oppressive Bantu system denied many black learners the opportunity to study mathematics at a high-school level, contributing to the current education challenge.

“The oppressive Bantu education system denied many black learners the opportunity to study mathematics at a high-school level. Thus learners who were capable of being chartered accountants, engineers, actuarial scientists, pharmacists, medical doctors and other professions requiring mathematics as prerequisite, were denied the opportunity to fulfil their dreams. This included mathematics teachers,” the DBE stated.

The above-mentioned statistics, revealed in response to questions in national parliament by DA shadow minister of basic education, Ms Annette Lovemore, stated that Mpumalaga scored the lowest with only 43,7 per cent schools offering this particular subject.

Lovemore requested that the minister of education, Ms Angie Motshekga, explain why one in four schools are allowed to deny learners a full matric maths education on her watch, and how this will be urgently rectified.

She said being denied maths education was a denial of achieving one’s true potential in life and severely limited young people form seizing opportunities.

“Every one of the top skills listed in the 100 scarce-skills list requires learners to have done mathematics. Not offering the subject is denying them the opportunity to pursue any of these careers, and denying the country the opportunity to develop the skill that it needs,” Lovemore said.

She furthermore stated that while the minister stated that a plan was developed to introduce mathematics to more schools, it was clear that an unacceptable number of schools still denied learners maths education.

According to Lovemore, the minister’s reasons for this, to date, have been flimsy and unsubstantiated. “Our challenge to the minister is to provide reasons that justify denying our young people the meaningful education they deserve, without hiding behind systemic shortcomings,” Lovemore said.

She added that the DA believed that each and every South African had to be be given the chance to succeed in life and therefore the DA would continue to fight for the quality education all children deserved, not only for their own sake but also for the future success of the country.

On Wednesday Zwane issued another press release stating that the statistics released by the DBE were false.

According to Zwane, contrary to the said reports, all secondary schools in Mpumalanga do offer pure mathematics.

The MEC for education in Mpumalanga, Ms Reginah Mhaule, earlier stated during her budget speech that a total of R59 million was set aside to promote maths, science and technology in this financial year in Mpumalanga.