Cresslawn Primary takes steps to improve skills in mathematics

In South Africa, the persistent underperformance in mathematics in schools continues to be a great challenge year after year, perpetuating a crisis without a clear solution.

This issue not only affects the education sector but also casts a shadow on the country’s economic prospects, with many school graduates lacking proficiency in maths.

Recognising the urgency of this matter, initiatives like the My Maths Buddy One Book One Learner project emerge as crucial interventions.

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In a big step towards addressing South Africa’s math education challenges, Cresslawn Primary School in Kempton Park has taken proactive measures to enhance math teaching with support from Knorr-Bremse.

The sponsorship aimed to uplift their mathematics teachers, equipping them with essential skills and resources, crucial for effective teaching.

Under the sponsorship from Knorr-Bremse, the teachers at Cresslawn Primary School participated in an intensive training program known as My Maths Buddy Effective Teachers.

This program focused on empowering teachers with advanced methodologies tailored for teaching mathematics to learners in Grades Three to Seven.

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The training initiative aimed to deepen teachers’ understanding of mathematical concepts and enhance their ability to impart these concepts effectively to learners.

Through hands-on workshops and specialised training sessions, they equipped teachers with practical strategies to make mathematics more accessible and engaging for their learners.

On the second day of the programme, Knorr-Bremse HR manager Heidi Snyman, Bremse’s leading engineer Dornay Wannies, and two more staff members from Knorr-Bremse attended the school not only to observe but also to engage with the learners.

Snyman introduced Knorr-Bremse to the learners, highlighting the company’s endeavours and significance.

Following this, Wannies told learners about the importance of mathematics in opening doors to opportunities in their lives.

His words allowed learners to recognise the real-world impact of math and encouraged them to strive for excellence in the subject.

“This seminar was educative and opened my eyes to other strategies of teaching mathematical concepts and skills,” said Grade Three teacher Chikondi Angella Salimu.

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“The skills I have learned will have a positive impact on the learners and make me to be the best teacher.”

Grade Five maths teacher Tshegofatso Lekgae said the program was handy and helpful for both learners and teachers.

“Learners did not know there was a maths dictionary, which was quite interesting.

“Knowing and learning about the barriers to study at the beginning of a year is an advantage so we can correct the errors of the previous years and not bring them to the next generations.”