Decline in students taking mathematics must be reversed, and fast
25 August 2015
According to a series of replies to DA parliamentary questions, the DA can reveal that the number of learners taking mathematics as a subject at high school is decreasing yearly. Between 2012 and the most recent statistic received, the number of students taking mathematics in Matric has decreased by nearly 4%.
This should be the cause for serious concern. Mathematics as a subject is critical for ensuring that our children receive the skills they will need to access tertiary education, and to subsequently get a job. Of the 100 identified scarce skills in South Africa, 93 require a decent pass in matric maths. Yet only 12% of 2014’s successful matriculants achieved more than 50% for mathematics.
This trend needs to be reversed and fast. To this end, the DA will request that the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, summon Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga before the Committee to explain why this pattern is occurring. We will also ask the Minister to spell out how she will intervene to ensure that the number of learners taking this critical subject will increase and how the quality of passes in this subject will improve.
The reality is that despite multiple assurances by Minister Motshekga, her department is failing to address the pressing need to increase mathematics learner numbers and to improve performance in the subject.
According to the replies, which the DA can reveal today:
The percentage of our learners enrolled to write the Grade 12 mathematics exam is steadily declining, from 44.3% in 2012, to 43% in 2013, 42.3% in 2014 and now to 40.8% in 2015.
The DBE has no idea how many learners are enrolled to study mathematics in Grade 10 this year despite having issued a circular in 2014 instructing that all secondary schools must offer mathematics in the FET phase (Grades 10 to 12), and that schools already offering mathematics must increase their numbers, starting in Grade 10;
The DBE has no idea of how many teachers are teaching mathematics at FET level;
The DBE has no idea how many of the teachers currently teaching mathematics are qualified to do so; and
The DBE has no idea how many mathematics teachers are actually required by the education sector.
The DA will also submit parliamentary questions to find out why the Minister is not gathering data on an issue which should be managed as a matter of urgency.
The DBE has taken what appear to be very positive action steps:
It has set ambitious targets, aiming, inter alia, to have 350 000 learners passing mathematics at National Senior Certificate level by 2024;
A Maths, Science and Technology Directorate has been established; and
A mathematics, science and technology grant, tabiliza R347 million for this financial year, has been made available to promote the teaching of these subjects.
Yet these developments cannot, on their own, effect the change we need if the DBE does not measure their effectiveness. The DA will therefore also submit further parliamentary questions to find out why the Minister is not gathering this important data.
The DA-run Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has identified the improvement of mathematics as one of its primary objectives and have a number of teacher development programmes on offer to help improve the development of teaching in this subject. The WCED is also focusing on encouraging learners to take mathematics and science, which are both gateway subjects for the economic development of the province and our country.
The DA believes that mathematics is a passport to employment for our young people and to economic development for our country. It is in the interests of our children, and our country, for this to be turned around as soon as possible.
Statement issued by Annette Lovemore, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, August 25 2015
