Matric Maths disaster looms

[Vox Populi Vox Dei]

There were complaints on this very forum about the difficulty of the maths papers so this does not come as a surprise. I feel a bit for the Education Department though...last year they were (rightly) blasted for the maths papers being too easy and so in response to that feedback, they set a harder paper, which is also being criticised.

Thousands of matrics are expected to fail maths this year because one of the two final exam papers was "beyond their intelligence".

The level of difficulty of some of the questions has sparked calls for marks to be adjusted upwards.

A senior moderator of maths paper one in Mpumalanga, whose group checked more than 6000 scripts, said only 1000 of them had passed.

Nationally, 300461 learners wrote maths while a further 284826 wrote maths literacy, the easier paper.

The moderator, who cannot be named because of confidentiality regulations, said at least 1000 of the papers he had marked had scored zero out of a possible 150.

"Very few learners will make it in paper one; most will fail," he warned.

The Department of Basic Education's exams directorate this week confirmed that it had also received reports from teachers and subject advisers that the paper had been "extremely difficult".

Pupils countrywide wrote new question papers in five subjects, including maths paper one, after the original papers were leaked in Mpumalanga.

The Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa (Amesa) sent a submission to the department highlighting its concerns about the paper. Its Western Cape branch said the paper had been tricky and the standard of questions "unexpected".

Source: The Times

 

[semiautomatix]

Perhaps learners had become too complacent as a result of the previous years paper. A gradual increase in the difficulty of the paper might have been the solution.

 

[DVD007]

Stop complaining and be glad that the standard is high. If people fail its because they are not ready to move on. Our economy needs people with strong math skills, not a couple hundred thousand that think they are good in maths and really don't no that 2+2=4.

 

[davemc]

It said: "The majority of learners are second- and third-language (English speakers). Could questions not be asked at a more simple level?"

Okay. That is reasonable logic.

Amesa's president, Elspeth Khembo, said her association would welcome an upward mark adjustment by Umalusi, the body responsible for monitoring and standardising the matric exams.

NO! WTF! Dammit, rewrite the questions and give failed students the opportunity to rewrite. Don't automatically raise marks, that's corrupt.

 

[krycor]

Now this will be interesting.. I wonder what the results curve will look like, because if there is no bottom to it, they can't just do a bell curve shift.

 

[Vox Populi Vox Dei]

The teacher said all pupils should be awarded 40 extra marks because most of the problems were "beyond" the majority of pupils.

That's also scary logic right there! Nearly 25% of the paper must be given to all pupils for free?! So a person who obtains a raw mark of 75% will now be considered a maths genius when he sees 100% on his script?!

 

[davemc]

I wonder wtf AMESA were doing when the papers were drafted.

 

[daveza]

This is the scary bit...

Eric Ndimande, a maths teacher in Mpumalanga, said most maths teachers would have battled to pass the paper had they written it.

Amesa singled out 12 problematic questions and recommended that the exam in future provide a "reasonable opportunity" for weaker pupils to score at least 30%.

30% I believe is a pass.

 

[battletoad]

Our economy needs people with strong math skills, not a couple hundred thousand that think they are good in maths and really don't no that 2+2=4.

I got an A in matric, completed my bsc. The math, stats and physics (which i didnt have as a major) depts really want me to pursue postgrad degrees with them which implies, when it comes to ability, im more than competent.

As for our economy, explain to me why i had to take a job as a carguard recently (just to scrape enuff cash together to buy my significant other something for xmas) because our companies are too afraid to put their money where their mouths are? Is this what you do to skilled people you supposedly crave? I should be head hunted like a mofo!

Companies should understand that graduates need at least 6 months to get the feel for the job, after two years they'll be so great at what they do you wouldn't know how you woulda survived without them. Get your act together please.

Still, im positive, going for that masters (x's fingers) and want to contribute to the country. It'd be sad if i have to leave for greener pastures

 

[wrathex]

Having read this article I did a rescan of my sons Grade 10 report, to look at the mathematics averages.

He wrote 3 mathematics papers:

Wiskunde : he scored 91% class average: 56%
Gevorderde Wiskunde : 89% class average: 62%
WISKUNDE VRAESTEL 3 : 90% class average 70%

Look at the first statistic, the class average is 56%.

The second and third statistic are for students who
chose maths as a subject for matric.

That there is a problem is obvious, mathematical thinking
is not for everyone and pretending otherwise is dangerous.

Forcing horses to the water will not suddenly give results,
the issue of mathematical ability or/or skill should be
addressed in the infant years of a child, laying a solid
foundation on which to build.

Primary level mathematical tutoring should also come under the
limelight, give me any Grade 1 child and I will be able to tell
you whether they will have mathematical problems in the future.

Our education system should fascilitate the identifying of students
with mathematical issues from Grade 1 and 2, and ensure that
those young minds get extra tuition, so that by the time they
reach Grade 6 & 7, they are ready and prepared to meet the demands
of senior mathematics.

The same should apply to students with reading problems, identify them
early and ensure extra tuition.

If the Department of Education cares as much as it says it does, about our failing
matric results in general, then concerted effort should be made to improve
assistance to students on a primary level.

 

[ponder]

I wonder what the results curve will look like, because if there is no bottom to it, they can't just do a bell curve shift.

With the levels of todays math education they might just be able to shift that bell curve, afterall the method is irrelevant as only the outcome counts

 

[MidnightWizard]

Real World

If the Department of Education cares as much as it says it does,
about our failing matric results in general,
then concerted effort should be made to improve
assistance to students on a primary level.

You still live in the Rainbow World

The guys that are "running" education all come from the same school as the people running all the other state depts
SABC
ESKOM
TELKOM
ICASA
Housing
Health
SAA
Transport

etc etc etc

and

what "school" was this


Patrice Lumumba University

International LENIN School

Wonderful high finance and entreprenerurial skills taught here.

Knowing the Russians the MATH was probably pretty good -- can't blame them for that.


MW

 

[ponder]

Knowing the Russians the MATH was probably pretty good...

Excellent math & science education those Ruskies

 

[PeterCH]

That there is a problem is obvious, mathematical thinking
is not for everyone and pretending otherwise is dangerous.

So all those Hong Kong and Taiwanese students who scored >95% on maths papers in my school in the early 90s were especially gifted or talented? Or perhaps they arrived in SA having covered this work already, attended cram schools and had more advanced maths back home.

Mathematics is pretty easy. One just has to teach it properly. You can teach logic to a degree but it has to start early. Some people are of course more inclined towards maths then others, but overall the distribution of people's mathematical abilities should follow a bell curve and with these exams and previous ones we see that it isn't the case. Those who are natural mathematicians can score in the 90s with decent amount of effort but everyone unless they have a learning disability should score in the 60-70s if they work hard at it and are taught well.

I think that the learners in question haven't lived up to their namesake.

 

[noxibox]

I would expect adjusting marks when a paper has been made overly difficult to be fairly standard practice. Schools always did this for internal exams, as did the universities.

If teachers are not able to pass the paper then it needs to be determined whether the paper is monumentally difficult, which seems incredibly unlikely since school mathematics is very basic compared to university level, or that in fact the teachers are not qualified to be teaching the subject.

 

[PeterCH]

SA is really fscked if we're going to be producing this quality of matric graduate. The rich countries can import the talent from around the world - a xenophobic, mismanaged and poor country like SA can't do that. With this type of rubbish schooling don't expect another African renaissance unless it comes from donor aid.

 

[PeterCH]

I would expect adjusting marks when a paper has been made overly difficult to be fairly standard practice. Schools always did this for internal exams, as did the universities.

This was also done in past Matric exams.

If teachers are not able to pass the paper then it needs to be determined whether the paper is monumentally difficult, which seems incredibly unlikely since school mathematics is very basic compared to university level, or that in fact the teachers are not qualified to be teaching the subject.

That touches on the subject. The problem is probably a mix of teacher, department and 'learner' - I just hate that word. The learners don't have a culture of learning - a passion to want to excel, the teachers are probably unqualified, or poorly motivated by the students, department and poor pay and the department just wants to have the learners all shine.

 

[phiber]

Anyone have copies of the paper? I would like to see what questions were "Problematic"

Tutored some students for free this year, matric students couldn't draw the line for equation y = x + 2. You can't really blame the papers here, need to start at the basics. Most schools don't teach the basics, and the students also don't care until matric when they wanna work. Its too late to start working in matric

 

[Nihilanth]

Well if everyone would please take a look at the ANC's freedom charter all questions concerning a low standard will be answered. The ANC and our government believes in 'basic education' not being the best and providing for gifted students.

 

[scotty777]

Hmmm.... the problem isn't the education system, it's the kids... I've always been good at maths and science, I'd get 60's with no studying and watching Dragon Ball Z. However, I always understood that hard work gives you solid results (proved this in gr 11 (2nd term went from 50% in maths to 70% in maths in the l3rd term). However, kids of today are too pampered... they all (or at least most kids) reckon that their lives will just work out, and kids are constantly reminded that Sir Richard Branson never completed "matric" and now look at him... Well, I'm sorry, that sort of attitude is not working, kids must be told that if you don't succeed at school (even for small things) then you can't succeed in life...

I've also realised that no matter how amazing you are at maths, you still have to study your nuts off. I don't really enjoy the idea of extra lessons, but if it motivates the kid, then do them. However, kids must learn something call inner motivation, doing something for themselves and wanting to complete that goal so badly that external influences that are against it are brushed away.