Mathematics is one of the “Golden Threads” that runs through the Education pillar of the RBI. This thread runs through ECD, Primary School, Middle School, High School and Post Matriculation. It is vital that the strategies used in the different phases have the same underlying philosophy. Mathematics makes sense yet so many individuals do not realise this. As soon as one does not expect mathematics to make sense one starts to rely on rules, tricks and memorisation. It is a tragedy that most of our learners and teachers regard mathematics as a collection of techniques that are used to get an answer. The quicker one gets to the answer the better. The process of “thinking” is almost non-existent in our classrooms. Mathematics has been reduced to a variety of recipes.

The teachers involved in the teaching of mathematics are generally poor at the mathematical content and methodology themselves. These teachers tend to teach the way they were taught. Their underlying beliefs need to be challenged if the activities that take place in the “black box”...this are what researcher’s call the classroom since no one really knows what happens in the “black box”...are to be truly educational. The teachers need an understanding of the cognitive development levels for children at any age and the impact this should have on the teaching process. In addition teachers need a level of mastery of mathematical knowledge.

The learners are so full of potential yet they have been fed a very inferior mathematical diet. This has resulted in very poor performance in all assessment tasks at all ages.

The scope of this Programme includes and excludes the following items:

In Scope

- Mathematics/Numeracy teachers in Bafokeng primary schools

- Specialised intervention and training in primary schools in the Capital Region