Date: 24/03/2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Launch of Mathematics Centre for Professional Teachers
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MATHEMATICS CENTRE FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS, Metal Box Centre, Auckland Park, 24 March 2003
Programme Director,
Representatives of Engen Petroleum Limited,
Honoured Guests,
Educators,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Humans have always taken seriously the task of educating their offspring in the essential skills of survival. Even though their activities were not always packaged neatly as Mathematics, Science and Technology, our history attests to the fact that we are a species that has pursued these disciplines with oneness of purpose never found in any other animal species. From the earliest known human endeavours such as the discovery of medicinal herbs and other cures, inventing the wheel, making implements out of stone, constructing irrigation canals, practising agriculture, building houses, right up to the discovery and utilisation of electricity and atomic energy, the construction of modern architectural and civil engineering structures, to mention but a few, all these developments have been based on our accumulation of knowledge in mathematics, science and technology.
One of the essential ingredients to sustainable economic development lies in a country's prioritisation of the education of its children in these gateway subjects. All developed countries owe their success partly to their teaching and learning of mathematics, science and technology. That is why it is my singular pleasure to be a part of this momentous occasion to launch and celebrate one of our private sector company's contributions towards addressing this need in our country. Our sincerest gratitude and commendations go to Engen Petroleum Limited for its kind generosity in sponsoring this Mathematics Centre for Professional Teachers. I am no stranger to the generosity of Engen. Our previous partnerships with the company in other school development projects have always been a resounding success.
I believe no other writer has as yet captured the role of a teacher more aptly and more succinctly than Henry Adams when he says: "A teacher effects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops". An investment in the development of teachers, therefore, is an investment in the nation's current and future prosperity. By sponsoring this project to develop their professional mathematical skills, Engen Petroleum could not have found a better way of investing its resources. We really salute you for engaging in this noble endeavour.
Initiatives and occasions such as this one are bound to prepare and encourage our youth to boldly face their current and future challenges with hope and expectation. Such interventions by the private sector contribute in a very meaningful way towards our battle to improve the mathematical, scientific and technological literacy in our learners and communities. Such interventions also have the capacity to empower many of our teachers in their quest to compete favourably with their peers world-wide. This contribution by Engen is also one of the sustainable ways of preparing our citizenry to become effective participants in the technologically driven world of today.
The ability to measure and to calculate is central to any scientific and technological development. The knowledge and mastery of mathematical computations enables individuals to unlock most knowledge and information systems. One of the most harmful and deliberate damages perpetrated by the Bantu education system was to discourage the teaching and learning of mathematics and science, and in some instances even denied blacks opportunities of following science and mathematically inclined disciplines. That is why today, while countries that are at the same level of development as ourselves are bracing themselves for competition on the global economic system, we are still grappling with the challenges of promoting the teaching and learning of mathematics, and of ensuring that the quality and quantity of matric passes in this subject increase progressively in all our schools.
Nonetheless, we still take comfort in the fact that we have now made the transition into a democratic dispensation. Today we stand at a vantage point where we are able to look back from whence we came and are able to decide where we intend going, where we want to be and what we want to achieve in future. The onus now lies with us to either utilise this vantage position to our benefit or detriment. It is also at this point in time that our teachers are expected to play a very decisive role in determining whether we win or lose this battle.
A number of challenges are still facing us as a nation, such as poverty, illiteracy, moral renewal, crime and violence especially against women and children, and many others. In order to confront these challenges, our learners, irrespective of gender or race, should all be encouraged to enrol and succeed in the critical subjects such as Mathematics and Physical Science because their success in these fields will greatly assist us in dealing with many of our social problems while boosting our economic growth.
The Dinaledi Project is one of our intervention strategies that are promising to bring us good results in these gateway subjects within a short time. Even though the project is currently limited to only 102 schools nationally, it has, nonetheless, provided a platform for highlighting the importance of mathematics and science and popularising the mastery of these subjects among our youth and society as a whole. But more importantly, the project has opened a definite and more meaningful niche for private sector investment in education.
In just one year since inception, the Dinaledi project has already yielded a significant improvement in the levels of learner participation and success in Mathematics and Science in matric. The National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education - Dinaledi - that we launched in June 2001 has indeed made inroads and changed the mindset and attitudes of our learners towards Mathematics and Science.
A comparison of the 2001 and 2002 matriculation results reveal the following statistical data. In Physical Science the overall increase in the pass rate is 13,4%, comprising improvements of respectively, 11,5% and 16,5% in Higher and Standard Grades. In Mathematics the overall pass rate increased by 10,7%. While the performance in Higher Grade decreased by 2,2%, that in Standard Grade improved by 12,4%.
Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to emphasis the inter-dependence between the various social entities such as communities, schools, industrial development and social upliftment. We can thus not expect to develop successful learners without developing successful educators. We cannot expect to develop into a winning nation without addressing the basic social needs such as security, hunger, human resource development, and moral renewal.
Our vision in education is to develop a mathematically, scientifically and technologically literate society. In order to achieve this we are committed to ensuring that as many of our young people as possible take and succeed in mathematics because this is also an entry subject towards scientific, technological and economic careers.
But it must also be borne in mind that mathematics is only a part within the entire body of knowledge that is transmitted through language. While mathematics is undoubtedly one of the most important subjects at school, language also plays a very crucial role in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Teachers are, therefore, obliged to promote the mastery of language with the same vigour and fervour as they do in the case of mathematics and other sciences.
Peggy House captures this dialectic between mathematics and language very aptly when she argues that; Mathematics is itself a language, precise and specialised, with a unique symbol system that condenses vast ideas to a dense, concise representation. It is also the language in which most scientific ideas are encoded. Students must learn to communicate in that language as well as in correct, fluent English. We should expect no less of them because we teach science or mathematics... Mathematics is not a licence for illiteracy.
Let me now turn briefly to one of the vexing obstacles we often encounter in our quest to increase girl learner participation in mathematics and science. Some common beliefs, gender biases and stereotypical views regarding the relationship between the learning of mathematics and femininity collectively prevent many girl learners from fully participating and succeeding in mathematically based subjects both at school and later at tertiary institutions. I believe we will be able to accelerate the attainment of gender equity when society reaches a stage where it is able to accord girls the same respect, opportunities and encouragement as it does to boys.
As a department we are committed to ensuring that our youth are nurtured into future citizens that recognise their duty to contribute to the well being of their communities. Our country's desire to play a leading role in the re-birth of Africa will remain a pipe dream if we fail to address first the needs of our nation, especially those of the very poor. That is why we are encouraged by those in the private sector like Engen Petroleum Limited that are taking a part in empowering our communities and our educators. This is one of the most viable ways of ensuring that our youth are sufficiently empowered to deal with the challenges of the future.
We would like to conclude by re-emphasising the important role played by teachers in our development as a nation. This contribution by Engen will certainly go a long way towards assisting the country to develop a mathematically competent society that is able to hold its own in the global community. We hope that this Mathematics Centre will generate a lot of interest and enthusiasm among more of our educators to become good teachers of mathematics and science.
May we remind all the teachers in this country that our youth depend on you, the future of this country depends on you and we all depend on you to make us a winning nation.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Education
24 March 2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Launch of Mathematics Centre for Professional Teachers
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MATHEMATICS CENTRE FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS, Metal Box Centre, Auckland Park, 24 March 2003
Programme Director,
Representatives of Engen Petroleum Limited,
Honoured Guests,
Educators,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Humans have always taken seriously the task of educating their offspring in the essential skills of survival. Even though their activities were not always packaged neatly as Mathematics, Science and Technology, our history attests to the fact that we are a species that has pursued these disciplines with oneness of purpose never found in any other animal species. From the earliest known human endeavours such as the discovery of medicinal herbs and other cures, inventing the wheel, making implements out of stone, constructing irrigation canals, practising agriculture, building houses, right up to the discovery and utilisation of electricity and atomic energy, the construction of modern architectural and civil engineering structures, to mention but a few, all these developments have been based on our accumulation of knowledge in mathematics, science and technology.
One of the essential ingredients to sustainable economic development lies in a country's prioritisation of the education of its children in these gateway subjects. All developed countries owe their success partly to their teaching and learning of mathematics, science and technology. That is why it is my singular pleasure to be a part of this momentous occasion to launch and celebrate one of our private sector company's contributions towards addressing this need in our country. Our sincerest gratitude and commendations go to Engen Petroleum Limited for its kind generosity in sponsoring this Mathematics Centre for Professional Teachers. I am no stranger to the generosity of Engen. Our previous partnerships with the company in other school development projects have always been a resounding success.
I believe no other writer has as yet captured the role of a teacher more aptly and more succinctly than Henry Adams when he says: "A teacher effects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops". An investment in the development of teachers, therefore, is an investment in the nation's current and future prosperity. By sponsoring this project to develop their professional mathematical skills, Engen Petroleum could not have found a better way of investing its resources. We really salute you for engaging in this noble endeavour.
Initiatives and occasions such as this one are bound to prepare and encourage our youth to boldly face their current and future challenges with hope and expectation. Such interventions by the private sector contribute in a very meaningful way towards our battle to improve the mathematical, scientific and technological literacy in our learners and communities. Such interventions also have the capacity to empower many of our teachers in their quest to compete favourably with their peers world-wide. This contribution by Engen is also one of the sustainable ways of preparing our citizenry to become effective participants in the technologically driven world of today.
The ability to measure and to calculate is central to any scientific and technological development. The knowledge and mastery of mathematical computations enables individuals to unlock most knowledge and information systems. One of the most harmful and deliberate damages perpetrated by the Bantu education system was to discourage the teaching and learning of mathematics and science, and in some instances even denied blacks opportunities of following science and mathematically inclined disciplines. That is why today, while countries that are at the same level of development as ourselves are bracing themselves for competition on the global economic system, we are still grappling with the challenges of promoting the teaching and learning of mathematics, and of ensuring that the quality and quantity of matric passes in this subject increase progressively in all our schools.
Nonetheless, we still take comfort in the fact that we have now made the transition into a democratic dispensation. Today we stand at a vantage point where we are able to look back from whence we came and are able to decide where we intend going, where we want to be and what we want to achieve in future. The onus now lies with us to either utilise this vantage position to our benefit or detriment. It is also at this point in time that our teachers are expected to play a very decisive role in determining whether we win or lose this battle.
A number of challenges are still facing us as a nation, such as poverty, illiteracy, moral renewal, crime and violence especially against women and children, and many others. In order to confront these challenges, our learners, irrespective of gender or race, should all be encouraged to enrol and succeed in the critical subjects such as Mathematics and Physical Science because their success in these fields will greatly assist us in dealing with many of our social problems while boosting our economic growth.
The Dinaledi Project is one of our intervention strategies that are promising to bring us good results in these gateway subjects within a short time. Even though the project is currently limited to only 102 schools nationally, it has, nonetheless, provided a platform for highlighting the importance of mathematics and science and popularising the mastery of these subjects among our youth and society as a whole. But more importantly, the project has opened a definite and more meaningful niche for private sector investment in education.
In just one year since inception, the Dinaledi project has already yielded a significant improvement in the levels of learner participation and success in Mathematics and Science in matric. The National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education - Dinaledi - that we launched in June 2001 has indeed made inroads and changed the mindset and attitudes of our learners towards Mathematics and Science.
A comparison of the 2001 and 2002 matriculation results reveal the following statistical data. In Physical Science the overall increase in the pass rate is 13,4%, comprising improvements of respectively, 11,5% and 16,5% in Higher and Standard Grades. In Mathematics the overall pass rate increased by 10,7%. While the performance in Higher Grade decreased by 2,2%, that in Standard Grade improved by 12,4%.
Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to emphasis the inter-dependence between the various social entities such as communities, schools, industrial development and social upliftment. We can thus not expect to develop successful learners without developing successful educators. We cannot expect to develop into a winning nation without addressing the basic social needs such as security, hunger, human resource development, and moral renewal.
Our vision in education is to develop a mathematically, scientifically and technologically literate society. In order to achieve this we are committed to ensuring that as many of our young people as possible take and succeed in mathematics because this is also an entry subject towards scientific, technological and economic careers.
But it must also be borne in mind that mathematics is only a part within the entire body of knowledge that is transmitted through language. While mathematics is undoubtedly one of the most important subjects at school, language also plays a very crucial role in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Teachers are, therefore, obliged to promote the mastery of language with the same vigour and fervour as they do in the case of mathematics and other sciences.
Peggy House captures this dialectic between mathematics and language very aptly when she argues that; Mathematics is itself a language, precise and specialised, with a unique symbol system that condenses vast ideas to a dense, concise representation. It is also the language in which most scientific ideas are encoded. Students must learn to communicate in that language as well as in correct, fluent English. We should expect no less of them because we teach science or mathematics... Mathematics is not a licence for illiteracy.
Let me now turn briefly to one of the vexing obstacles we often encounter in our quest to increase girl learner participation in mathematics and science. Some common beliefs, gender biases and stereotypical views regarding the relationship between the learning of mathematics and femininity collectively prevent many girl learners from fully participating and succeeding in mathematically based subjects both at school and later at tertiary institutions. I believe we will be able to accelerate the attainment of gender equity when society reaches a stage where it is able to accord girls the same respect, opportunities and encouragement as it does to boys.
As a department we are committed to ensuring that our youth are nurtured into future citizens that recognise their duty to contribute to the well being of their communities. Our country's desire to play a leading role in the re-birth of Africa will remain a pipe dream if we fail to address first the needs of our nation, especially those of the very poor. That is why we are encouraged by those in the private sector like Engen Petroleum Limited that are taking a part in empowering our communities and our educators. This is one of the most viable ways of ensuring that our youth are sufficiently empowered to deal with the challenges of the future.
We would like to conclude by re-emphasising the important role played by teachers in our development as a nation. This contribution by Engen will certainly go a long way towards assisting the country to develop a mathematically competent society that is able to hold its own in the global community. We hope that this Mathematics Centre will generate a lot of interest and enthusiasm among more of our educators to become good teachers of mathematics and science.
May we remind all the teachers in this country that our youth depend on you, the future of this country depends on you and we all depend on you to make us a winning nation.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Education
24 March 2003
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