SA’s worrying mathematics trend

[rpm]

SA’s worrying mathematics trend

The results of the latest Mathematical Olympiad follow the downward trend of the country’s performance

 

[House]

SA’s worrying mathematics trend

The results of the latest Mathematical Olympiad follow the downward trend of the country’s performance

Ah well, soon they will probably scrape maths from the educational system and replace it with something else - perhaps building and fitting small blocks, however, I still see people struggling with that as well.

 

[Sonic2k]

Ag no problem... just means more business for those of us who can do maths
Eventually I can charge what I want for my services and they have no recourse but to pay

 

[grok]

Ah well, soon they will probably scrape maths from the educational system and replace it with something else - perhaps building and fitting small blocks, however, I still see people struggling with that as well.

That was sorta the plan the NATS proposed, to give them a practical/non-academic education, but it was called racist.

 

[R13...]

That was sorta the plan the NATS proposed, to give them a practical/non-academic education, but it was called racist.

What education was that? The nats did not allow black people to have technical education so they couldn't be artisans. The only technical training allowed was brick laying, motor mechanic, carpenting, the trades that could be used in race areas not industry.

And this comment presumably means maths deficiency is race related

 

[zippy]

Ag no problem... just means more business for those of us who can do maths
Eventually I can charge what I want for my services and they have no recourse but to pay

You will need the money to pay for the extra security you are going to need because the way its going, the majority of the population is becoming unemployable. So guess how they are going to go about feeding themselves ?

 

[House]

What education was that? The nats did not allow black people to have technical education so they couldn't be artisans. The only technical training allowed was brick laying, motor mechanic, carpenting, the trades that could be used in race areas not industry.

And this comment presumably means maths deficiency is race related

If the presumption is correct, we have lived 20 years way past Apartheid, and if those who started schools back in 1994, 1995, up to 2011 still can not do better in maths, then maths will remain a problem for all eternity.

But, that being said, let me tell you the real problem here. Firstly, government is tossing **** teachers into their schools. People who are actually not qualified to be in the position. People who cannot teach. Not only are they doing this in their own schools, but also trying to force these educators into other schools. This is being done in the name of job creation and affirmative action.

Government already saw this does not work, and have started the process of forcing other schools in taking in previously disadvantaged students. These children are forced into schools where they are taught in Afrikaans or English, languages they hardly ever spoke at home. These children are also not really getting an education as they are not understanding what is taught in classes and they generally do not fare well in any subject for that matter.

So, this problem directly stems from government's inability to provide proper education to children in their own languages - an education they should understand better and fare well in better.

This has nothing more to do with Apartheid, 20 years later I call BS. This is all government dropping their own people.

 

[R13...]

If the presumption is correct, we have lived 20 years way past Apartheid, and if those who started schools back in 1994, 1995, up to 2011 still can not do better in maths, then maths will remain a problem for all eternity.

But, that being said, let me tell you the real problem here. Firstly, government is tossing **** teachers into their schools. People who are actually not qualified to be in the position. People who cannot teach. Not only are they doing this in their own schools, but also trying to force these educators into other schools. This is being done in the name of job creation and affirmative action.

Government already saw this does not work, and have started the process of forcing other schools in taking in previously disadvantaged students. These children are forced into schools where they are taught in Afrikaans or English, languages they hardly ever spoke at home. These children are also not really getting an education as they are not understanding what is taught in classes and they generally do not fare well in any subject for that matter.

So, this problem directly stems from government's inability to provide proper education to children in their own languages - an education they should understand better and fare well in better.

This has nothing more to do with Apartheid, 20 years later I call BS. This is all government dropping their own people.

Do you know the apartheid allowed people to be employed as teachers when they did not complete a teacher's training qualification? You needed std. 8 to be able to be employed as a teacher. The shortage of qualified maths teachers has always been an issue if you were not white - the only difference I see now is the rise of unions who have totally ****ed up an already ****ed up system for a black kid. And this about forcing kids into schools that teach in Afrikaans or English is nonsense from your side, children have always needed to understand at least English post 1976 and Afrikaans before that.

School books are in English.

 

[House]

Do you know the apartheid allowed people to be employed as teachers when they did not complete a teacher's training qualification? You needed std. 8 to be able to be employed as a teacher. The shortage of qualified maths teachers has always been an issue if you were not white - the only difference I see now is the rise of unions who have totally ****ed up an already ****ed up system for a black kid. And this about forcing kids into schools that teach in Afrikaans or English is nonsense from your side, children have always needed to understand at least English post 1976 and Afrikaans before that.

School books are in English.

Do not agree with you. I have statistics on a number of schools that says just the opposite. Perhaps you should try to befriend a couple of teachers or principals and speak to them. In fact, had a short discussion with a staff member of the Gauteng Education Department exactly about this. They are on firm believe that in years to come the language barriers will break down and these children will start to grow tremendously. This talk was back in 1996.

Besides this, I am referring to Afrikaans schools. It is heartbreaking seeing these children, who get education in Afrikaans, but English is their second language. Afrikaans is a third language to most of them, yet the Department wants more than 100 of these children placed in an Afrikaans school. Why?

 

[jerome000]

Generally, an increase in educator salaries should increase performance output.

 

[R13...]

Do not agree with you. I have statistics on a number of schools that says just the opposite. Perhaps you should try to befriend a couple of teachers or principals and speak to them. In fact, had a short discussion with a staff member of the Gauteng Education Department exactly about this. They are on firm believe that in years to come the language barriers will break down and these children will start to grow tremendously. This talk was back in 1996.

Besides this, I am referring to Afrikaans schools. It is heartbreaking seeing these children, who get education in Afrikaans, but English is their second language. Afrikaans is a third language to most of them, yet the Department wants more than 100 of these children placed in an Afrikaans school. Why?

The Afrikaans schools allocate a certain number of places to English speaking children (regardless of race btw) - I know this because all the schools in my area are Afrikaans but our English colleagues' children go to the Afrikaans schools and don't have to learn in Afrikaans. Started early, any kid can learn any language so that is not a barrier at all at the lower levels while as I say at high school the school have a limited number of English slots for children from other areas or like in our area Christians schools which teach in English but have no high school.

 

[R13...]

And when it comes to maths language is not even an issue, I studied with a guy whose English is appalling but he had an A+ in maths (from the 90s before the exams were as easy as today)

 

[Valerion]

Generally, an increase in educator salaries should increase performance output.

Increasing the salary of someone who doesn't have the skill to perform the job (i.e. cannot teach) will not increase their output measurably.