More than 150 Grade 10 pupils from high schools around Alexandra meet every Saturday at Realogile Secondary School for their extra maths lessons.
The lessons are provided by non-profit organisation ORT SA, a Houghton-based Jewish body that has been running several educational projects in schools in the township, for both primary and high schools for time immemorial.
The Saturday classes at Realogile followed a realisation by the non-profit organisation’s maths facilitators that there is an urgent need for extra maths tuition to equip them to cope with what is being widely regarded as one of the most difficult subjects outside the sciences.
Teachers from the five schools in the area receive training during the week in preparation for the Saturday classes.
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“It’s so heart-warming that these teachers are willing to donate their time to this worthy cause every Saturday,” said ORT SA maths facilitator, Emily Maphosa.
“The idea is to teach concepts rather than the full curriculum and we encourage peer-to-peer learning. There are even those teachers and pupils who stay for more, after lunch is served,” she said.
Maphosa said although it was still too early to tell, the ORT SA programme was aiming at 10 distinctions per Alex high school by 2019.
Details: Marcelle Ravid 084 355 0826; Marcelle@ortsa.corg.za
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