Matrics performed poorly in maths - official

[zizo911]

Does anyone know what time the results will be released by the minister today?

 

[noxibox]

I am also sensitive to teaching ability, but would a bad maths teacher lead to a fail for the whole class? The performance of so many matrics indicates a bigger problem that cannot totally be attributed to just some bad teachers.

Potentially yes. I had a chemistry teacher who barely knew any chemistry. That nearly brought me down. I had to teach myself and there was another teacher willing to take the time to answer my questions (and he knew chemistry). I survived that because my parents bought me any additional materials I requested (today it would have been incredibly easy with the internet). Still knocked on to subsequent school years (where I had a far better teacher). I had a mathematics teacher who was completely lazy - her teaching consisted of coming into the classroom, telling us to read x pages, then do examples. Many of us suffered a serious hit to our marks that year, and some of that stuff was core material that was needed for subsequent years right into first year university. And therein lies the big issue. Subjects like mathematics, chemistry and physics rely on an understanding of earlier material to continue. You screw these children over early on and they're carrying a deficit every year. Do it multiple years and chances are they'll never even understand the relatively simple mathematics taught at school. And most of these children don't have parents who can help them either with materials or knowledge (I could pick up a school mathematics textbook, learn the material and then assist my child).

I've also had some appalling university lecturers. I don't even know why they bothered to teach because the 40 minutes they spent talking was a waste of everyone's time.

Teaching well requires good knowledge of the subject, it demands enthusiasm, the ability to explain things in various ways, creatively adjusting to the needs of the students and endless patience. Unfortunately as far as I can tell neither teachers nor university lectures are required to demonstrate any of the latter abilities. At best they need a degree in the subject and a teaching diploma.

I went to what was and still is considered one of the prestigious high schools (whites only when I was there), yet we still had some real boneheads teaching there. Some lazy, some apparently not knowing their subject.

 

[Nicodeamus]

If I remember correctly you will have to go to your school to get your results before they are published in the newspapers.