Date: 23/01/2009

Source: Department of Science and Technology

Title: SA: Mangena: Address by the Minister of Science and Technology at a "pro-maths" event hosted by Investec

Programme director
The management and staff of Investec
Educators, learners and parents
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

The shortage of skills in research, science, engineering and technology in South Africa is a well known fact. But of critical consideration is that we do not have enough young people graduating in mathematics in matric.

Moreover, the percentage of learners taking maths in higher grade declined from 14 percent in 1991 to around nine percent in 2006, and South Africa is not alone in having to face up to this unpleasant reality.

Although there are severe skills shortages throughout the world, the hard fact is that a study by productivity South Africa and the 2007 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook found that our country had the highest brain drain and worst skills shortage out of the fifty-five countries studied.

Clearly, we cannot do science without scientists, just as we cannot solve mathematical problems without mathematicians. Hence, we are faced with an urgent and critical problem.

Against this background, it is a singular pleasure for me to be here today to celebrate the success of an original initiative, a pilot scheme in the form of a partnership between determined representatives of the private and public sectors the Pro-Maths Programme pioneered by the Investec Social Investments and the Department of Education through the Kutlwanong Centre for Maths, Science and Technology.

The recently published matric results give reason for guarded optimism in the longer term. So, right now we have to face up to some grim realities. Since 1992, fewer than seven percent of senior certificate learners have passed core maths or higher grade.

In fact, statistics reveal that the higher grade pass rate for maths has not increase significantly between 1991 and 2006, and that between 2005 and 2006, the number of passes actually declined.

Another telling statistic reveals that only 11 percent of schools produce around 70 percent of core maths passes. And these are discouraging ratios, to say the least. Research reveals that part of the problem also lies in the learners' proficiency in the language of instruction.

It is not only maths in which so many students are wanting; but the fact that many learners and their educators are not proficient enough in English, the primary medium of maths instruction.

But today we are here to celebrate a story of success; one which I hope can be replicated by similar initiatives. The example set by Investec can be easily emulated by other private companies. Investec embarked on the pro-maths initiative because, as a company, it has a vested interest in the development of programmes that increase the national talent pool of graduates who are trained in maths, science and technology-related fields.

There are thousands of companies with the same needs. Today I want to urge our private enterprises and industries to take note of what has been achieved, and consider doing something similar on their own account. The Pro-Maths project is a partnership between the Kutlwanong Centre for Maths, Science and Technology, the Department of Education, the principals and educators of the 15 schools involved, and the Investec Social Investment division. I understand Investec is encouraging others to replicate its successful programme.

The Pro-Maths Programme contracts well-versed, qualified and experienced educators to deliver extra maths lessons to grade 10, 11 and 12 learners from disadvantaged schools. This takes place on Friday afternoons, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and during school holidays. Importantly, the programme does not seek to replace the role of maths educators in schools, but rather to supplement their efforts in order to improve the maths performance of high-potential learners in their schools.

Learners are nominated by schools and selected by the Pro-Maths project manager according to strict guidelines. While they need not be top performers in maths, they must demonstrate both the potential to achieve and the right attitude towards their studies in order to be selected.

Educators on the Pro-Maths programme should be suitably qualified and currently engaged in teaching maths.

The full details of the basic parameters of the project are readily available from Investec, and are also posted on their website. The project is run in fifteen schools in Soweto, and boasts the following achievements since its inception:
* 378 Grade 12 learners have participated in the Pro-Maths pilot, and 302 obtained symbols between A and E.
* At the Grade 12 higher grade maths level, Pro-Maths has produced 16 distinctions, 14 B symbols, 19 C symbols and 36 D symbols.
* 182 learners from disadvantaged communities have qualified for basic entrance into tertiary educational institutions.
* Four ex-Pro-Maths students were awarded Investec bursaries for tertiary studies.
* In 2006, Investec awarded a R10 000 merit award for the top achiever and R8 000 merit award for each student who achieved an A symbol.

In 2007, the Investec gave each of the eight students who achieved an A symbols R10 000 merit award as well as trophies and certificates. The top achiever also received a laptop and printer. Overall there has been an average increase in learner maths performance of 85 percent.

The results achieved by the students in the 2008 academic year were even more significant for the Pro-Maths initiative:
* the programme produced 80 distinctions in maths, meaning that more than 50 percent of the 140 matric learners achieved distinctions out of these, ten learners obtained 100 percent for maths
* 25 obtained between 70 to 79 percent
* 19 obtained between 60 to 69 percent
* there were at least eight distinctions for Science.

It gives me real pleasure to this opportunity to congratulate all involved in this worthy project the schools, the students, the teachers and the people who planned this so precisely and thoroughly at Investec. Well done to all of you. You have shown the way forward.

I thank you.