Improving the quality of matric maths results is a national issue that South Africa is addressing with a view to improving its critical skills development strategy.

It requires the involvement and commitment of learners, parents, teachers, school governing bodies and government to ensure that the country produces high quality matric learners eligible to study key professions such as accounting, engineering, commerce and science. 

This is according Chantyl Mulder, senior executive for Professional Development, Transformation and Growth at the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). “Mathematics is a gateway to all these professions, therefore, we need to encourage and support our learners to study mathematics and aim for good results,” she says.

Mulder is pleased that there is an improvement in the mathematics results in 2012, but she is adamant that there is lots more to be done. Of the 225,874 learners who wrote mathematics, 54 per cent passed; an improvement from the 46.3 per cent achieved in 2011. Furthermore, there were 6 591 distinctions in 2012 compared with 5 669 in 2011, an increase of 922.

Quality is also of big concern as the pass-mark is 30%. Of concern is also the steady decline of the number of pupils who take up mathematics as most learners are opting for mathematics literacy “I wish that 70% of maths passes would be a score of at least 60%.,” remarks Mulder, adding that the focus should be on quality and not quantity.

One of SAICA’s prime functions is to rapidly grow the number of the nation’s prospective accountants. Tasked with boosting the numbers of black CAs(SA), the institute’s Thuthuka Bursary Fund offers about 350  bursaries to African and Coloured South African grade 12 learners with exceptional all round marks, specifically in Mathematics and English.

“Learners take the easier maths literacy option hoping to achieve a better matric. But, maths literacy dramatically reduces their options for further study and employment. We need to produce highly skilled and educated African professionals. It is important that we get the right quality of learners,” says Chantyl Mulder. 

Going forward, Mulder states that through its Thuthuka Maths Olympiad programmes, SAICA will continue to support and encourage learners to take up mathematics as well as target the grades 8 and 9 learners. In the light of South Africa hosting the International Maths Olympiad (IMO) in 2014, “South Africa as a host country needs to showcase its young maths talent on a global scale,” she added. 

Mulder congratulated the 2012 matric learners who achieved high grades in mathematics and other subjects and encouraged them to aim high as they go to higher institutions of learning.

Contact:

Yuven Gounden
Project Manager: Communications and Marketing
SAICA Communications & Marketing Division
Tel: 011 621 6621
Cell: 083 297 1214
Email: yuveng@saica.co.za