The Western Cape Education Department has launched a range of initiatives to address a growing crisis in mathematics education in the province and the country.

"Research and learner results, particularly in our poorest schools, indicate that prospects for mathematics in South Africa are dire," said Helen Zille, the Western Cape’s Minister of Education.

"We must act now to ensure future generations of numerate South Africans. There are no quick fixes. However, we are taking steps to do whatever we can to improve results in the short, medium and long terms."

"Our primary focus is on schools in poor communities, where the need is greatest."

The state of mathematics in the country was illustrated in the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) of Grade 8 learners in 1999. The study ranked South Africa last out of 39 participating countries.

TIMMS ranked the four best countries as Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The four worst performers were Chile, the Philippines, Morocco and South Africa.

Meanwhile, the average mark for numeracy obtained by Grade Four learners in the most recent national Monitoring Learner Achievement (MLA) studies, completed in November 1999, was only 30%.

While the Western Cape achieved the highest average mark in the MLA study, of 37,9%, it was still far from satisfactory, Ms Zille said. The mark also hid the desperate situation in many disadvantaged schools where the average mark was significantly lower.

The WCED commissioned the Joint Education Trust (JET) to undertake a baseline study of Grade Three learners in 28 disadvantaged schools in 2000, to establish benchmarks against which progress in numeracy and literacy could be measured.

The JET study found that most Grade Three learners at these schools could not handle mathematics at Grade Three level, and experienced difficulty with mathematics at Grade One and Grade Two levels.

"The study indicated that these children did not have the basic foundation they need to further their education at primary school level," Ms Zille said.

The German Technical Organisation (GTZ) found in a separate study in 2000 that performance in mathematics declined significantly in disadvantaged schools between Grades Three and Six.

"These studies show that most children in primary schools in disadvantaged areas are not acquiring the numeracy skills they so desperately need for high school. They reflect a growing crisis in maths and science education in our schools," Ms Zille said.

Ms Zille said that mathematics results in the Senior Certificate examinations in 2000 provided yet another indicator of what had to be done to improve mathematics marks in disadvantaged schools.

In 2000, only 14 candidates from former Department of Education and Training (DET) Schools passed mathematics on the Higher Grade in the Senior Certificate examinations. Only 19 of the 40 former DET high schools in the province entered candidates for the Higher Grade in this examination.

"Fortunately, there are many schools in both previously advantaged and disadvantaged communities that are achieving excellent results. We must acknowledge these achievements and learn from them," Ms Zille said.

"We must also acknowledge the considerable work that remains to be done to improve mathematics results across the board, especially in disadvantaged schools."

Ms Zille listed various WCED initiatives designed to improve mathematics performance, particularly in schools serving poor communities. They include:

• The WCED’s Maths Schools Project, which has identified 11 schools in disadvantaged areas where the WCED will test the use of information and communication technology to teach higher grade mathematics. The WCED installed computer laboratories in the schools during the June school holidays, and trained about 90 teachers for the project during the third term. Some of the schools have now started using these systems. The project forms part of the WCED's broader Khanya Technology in Education Project.

• Schools in the Overberg region have initiated a similar project, facilitated by the Khanya team. Fifty-five schools are involved in the project, which is testing the use of information technology to deliver curriculum, including curriculum in mathematics and science.

• The WCED has initiated a Learning Schools Project in 82 schools, focussing mainly on schools that achieved a pass rate of less than 60% in last year's Senior Certificate examinations. The project is concentrating on mathematics and language skills, and includes the use of video tapes for teaching, learning and revision. A pilot study last year, using tapes for revision, helped to improve results significantly.

• The Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) in Khayelitsha is a pilot project of the WCED. The centre offers full-time tuition to a select group of Grade 10 to 12 learners from secondary schools in the area. The programme is geared towards producing Higher Grade passes in mathematics and physical science. All learners take computer studies as part of the core curriculum.

• COSAT has initiated an extensive Outreach Programme that includes a Saturday School enrichment programme for Grade 11 learners from 13 Khayelitsha schools who have the potential of learning mathematics and science on the Higher Grade.

• The WCED is facilitating a structured series of in-service training workshops to support the COSAT initiatives, involving collaborative groupings of mathematics and science teachers.

• Other initiatives include a Girls’ Talent Search, aimed at encouraging girls, particularly in disadvantaged communities, to study mathematics and science in Grades 10 to 12. This will include a camp during the September 2001 school holiday.

• The WCED is appointing Specialist Curriculum Advisers, specialising in mathematics and science education at the department’s seven new Education Management and Development Centres throughout the Western Cape. These advisers will coordinate mathematics and science programmes in their regions, and will align these activities with broader provincial initiatives.

• The WCED is cooperating with the national "102 Schools" project, designed to improve mathematics and science performance in disadvantaged schools. On the provincial level, this will involve identifying six "focus schools" that will receive science laboratories, science-rich libraries, with "technology platforms" to allow for computer enhanced instruction. The names of the focus schools will be announced shortly.

• The WCED is committed to a wide range of training programmes for mathematics and science teachers, involving both pre-service and in-service programmes. This includes offering generous bursaries for students specialising in mathematics and science teaching, and cooperating with many non-governmental organisations, teacher training institutions, the public and private sectors, and foreign donors, on in-service teacher training programmes.

• The WCED is expanding its research programme. This will include expanding the baseline study of Grade Three learners, first conducted in 2000, from 28 to 100 schools across the Western Cape. The study will look at both numeracy and literacy skills.

• Future plans include a new WCED Inservice Training Institute, in cooperation with higher education institutions, which will involve removing teachers from day-to-day teaching for an extended period, to focus on developing teaching skills, including teaching in mathematics and science.