Concerns about mathematics education

On 24 January 2022, the world celebrates the International Day of Education. The United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed the day in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.

Dr Belinda Huntley, the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics (ACM) at the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) says that "without comprehensive and equal quality education and enduring possibilities for all, countries will not displace gender equality and break the sequence of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults underdeveloped."

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reports that: 258 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated, and it is unacceptable.

In South Africa, the National Education Evaluation & Development Unit (NEEDU) reports in their Policy Brief 1 that “time spent on non-instructional issues accounts for at least 30% of a 200-day school year.” The COVID-19 pandemic of the past two years, did not improve the situation.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, says that "at the peak of the pandemic, schools were actually closed for 91% of learners, or 1.5 billion pupils and students. It then became apparent to everyone that education was a global public good, and school was more than just a place of learning: it was also a place that provided protection, well-being, food and freedom. Education is a fundamental right and the most powerful aid to development that we have. Defending the future of this right means defending the right to the future."

In 2020, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) trimmed the curriculum and revised the Annual Teaching Plan (ATP). “But, because the DBE based these ATPs on a normal school year, grades 4 to 9 covered only 50-60% of the curriculum in 2020 and similarly in 2021,” says Dr Huntley. “In November 2021, the DBE discussed adjusted ATPs for 2022, however, they decided to keep the 2021 ATPs unchanged.”

These unchanged ATPs raises the concern about how the DBE assess the learners’ progress and standard, especially in mathematics. A concerned Huntley explains that “there will be learners progressing to the next grade with huge gaps. It is crucial for the DBE to respond to the learning losses, especially in the entry grades of phases, which are grades 3, 6 and 9.”

In addition to learning losses, another NEEDU report, Teaching and Learning in Rural Primary Schools (2013), suggests that “only 41% of monograde and 50% of multigrade (rural) schools issued mathematics textbooks to all learners.” The report further highlights an analysis of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) process for 2012. The analysis concluded that, “of the 446 395 educators rated (364 075 teachers, 47 969 HODs, 14 952 deputy principals and 19 399 principals), 69.7% were rated as 'good' or 'outstanding', scoring at least 70% on the performance appraisal system (Department of Basic Education, 2013e). A further 29.8% were rated as exhibiting level 3 performance ('Meets minimum requirements': 50-69%). The performance of a mere 0.59% was considered 'unacceptable'. These figures are diametrically at odds with conclusive evidence over the last decade that South African scores on comparative reading and mathematics tests fall well below those of a number of much poorer countries.”

So, to create better education, one needs better teachers. The SAMF partnered with the African Institution for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC) to provide professional enrichment programmes for mathematics teachers, subject advisers, and field trainers in South Africa.

"These courses aim to introduce new mathematics teaching skills, improve subject knowledge and empower teachers from disadvantaged rural and township communities," says Barrie Barnard, Academic Manager at AIMSSEC. "Learning is through guided discovery, with an emphasis on understanding, mathematical thinking, discussion, collaborative learning and challenges rather than just mechanical practice."

Barnard continues and says that "to strengthen capacity while equipping mathematics teachers with the desired 21st-century skills, 109 high school teachers were offered bursaries in 2019 to attend a three-year training programme. Already, the SAMF is seeing an improvement in the results of learners from these schools that participate in the Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO)."

The SAMF will also offer a Level 1 Mathematics Problem Solving Course for primary school teachers. "The blended learning approach will equip teachers to think like a mathematician, explore, reason logically, and communicate their thinking," concludes Dr Huntley. "Teachers will also have the opportunity to improve their mathematical problem-solving skills and techniques. As a result, they can break rote learning practices and appreciate the beauty of mathematics again."

For more information on the SAMF's various teacher enrichment programmes, send an email to info@samf.ac.za.