IN an effort to address the quality of mathematics passes among matriculants, the Department of Basic Education has once again partnered with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) through its Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund (TEUF), and will support the Maths Development Camps in the country. SAICA engages about 200 pupils per province in serious mathematics education camps, where teachers train pupils and provide valuable support to tackle problematic mathematics topics.
The upcoming education camp will cater for 150 pupils and will be held from 6 to 11 July at the UKZN Westville Campus.
The pupils are selected based on their academic performance, with a minimum of 60 per cent in mathematics, science and accounting being mandatory. Since the inception of the maths development school camps in 2005, more than 100 pupils, who were part of these camps in previous years, started studying towards a B Comm Accounting degree at various universities.
Gugu Makhanya, project director for transformation and growth at SAICA, who said mathematics is a gateway to most of these professions, added, “The camps consist of five to seven-day workshops. Facilitators are invited to help motivate the pupils and develop key skills identified as underdeveloped in some pupils, namely numeracy, literacy, study skills, examination techniques and other soft skills.”
The objectives of the camps are to assist pupils to obtain and enhance the skills required successfully to achieve a post-matric career and study in the direction of their choice.
Makhanya said, “The camps are an excellent opportunity for pupils to improve their academic performance in mathematics, science, accounting, and English, while also developing the softer skills that will support them in their tertiary education as well as their future careers.”
For more information, contact Lethukuthula Mkhize on 074 730 4703 or lethum@saica.co.za, or Sister Ntsele on 084 392 6954 or sistern@saica.co.za.
