Prime factors see teacher dedicate his life to maths
Thomas Makhubele (52), from Flora Park in Tzaneen, helped 40 matriculants pass the subject with distinctions last year
Neville Maakana
LIMPOPO – A father who insisted on teaching mathematics to his own children in a rural high school before resigning as a teacher, continues to help impoverished learners wrap their minds around the subject in his top-notch home school.
Thomas Makhubele (52), from Flora Park in Tzaneen, helped 40 matriculants pass the subject with distinctions last year after he started a project which runs maths festivals and offers extra lessons.
“If a teacher doesn’t have the confidence to teach his own child in class, how can he expect other parents to put their children in his care?” he asked.
While still a teacher at Zivuko Secondary School in Mariveni village near Tzaneen, Makhubele taught mathematics to three of his children. One of them, Khanyisa Makhubele, got 100% in the subject, becoming one of the top matriculants in Limpopo in 2015.
The three children are currently pursuing careers in actuary science, civil engineering, and medicine at the University of Cape Town.
Last year, the father of five resigned from his job as a teacher and turned his home garage into a modern classroom, fitted with a white board, overhead projector and computer for online and video instruction.
“My mission is to debunk the myth that mathematics is a difficult subject. I am now free to explore the richness and beauty of the subject without being hindered by the administrative workload and the politics prevalent in a school environment,” he explained.
His project, Songa Rigogo, organises maths festivals by inviting some of the best teachers to take part in a celebration of problem-solving with his learners. It also offers year-long extra classes after school and weekends.
“I love mathematics and teaching. I don’t even have time to watch soccer games or attend funerals of close relatives due to my current obligations, but I do them gladly,” he added.
Makhubele said the secret to his success include giving his learners lots of exercises, doing thorough preparation before going to class, motivation, parental involvement and spending many hours in the library.
“As teachers, we must never stop teaching ourselves. I have all the mathematics textbooks and studyguides available on the market and I read them every day.
“Preparation is a key aspect of what I do. If I am going to teach for one hour, then I must spend at least three hours preparing for the lesson. Parents are encouraged to come and observe my lessons so they know what we do in class and can rest assured their children are in good hands.”
As part of his education, he strongly discourages learners from having sexual intercourse, joining social media groups or watching television, except when educational programmes are aired.
“They must concentrate on their studies only without, external distractions,” he explained. Trivans Mpenyana (17), who is studying medicine at the University of Limpopo and was part of the project since Gr 8, received five distinctions, including 87% in mathematics, during his matric examination.
“Makhubele was like a father to me. He provided me with study guides and inspired me to love the subject,” he said.
Hlayisi Mukansi (18), who has been accepted to the University of the Witwatersrand to study civil engineering, obtained four distinctions, including 81% for mathematics. He said Makhubele filled the gaps resulting from poor early teaching.
“The extra classes helped me a lot. He was very patient and took time to teach us some of the basic skills we should have learnt in the lower grades, strengthening our foundation in the subject,” he said.
