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The latest figures on enrollment in 2020 show the country’s continued failure to offer a satisfactory mathematics education.
This is nothing new, with the surprising downward trend in South African mathematics education reflected in the matrix results each year.
Figures from last year show that of the 787,717 students who wrote tuition exams, only 222,034 (28%) wrote math. Of those who wrote, 45% did not achieve a passing grade higher than 30%.
This year’s tuition exams will begin on November 5, 2020 and run until December 15, 2020, with 1,058,699 candidates. registered to write these exams.
This includes full-time and part-time candidates, as well as those candidates who were supposed to have written exams in June of this year, who were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, the Basic Education Portfolio Committee has expressed concern about the decline in the number of students who have enrolled in Math.
“It seems our students are running away from this,” said committee chair Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba. “However, then it becomes difficult when they want to register for certain programs at higher education institutions.”
However, the Department of Basic Education assured him that the 2020 class covered the entire spectrum of the curriculum and that “the introduction of technical mathematics and technical physical sciences has contributed to lower enrollment rates in pure mathematics.”
Technical mathematics vs mathematical literacy
Technical mathematics (also called applied mathematics) is a relatively new subject that aims to prepare matrices for work in a trade.
The differences between the three math subjects are detailed below:
| Theme | Content | college |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Standard math curriculum, including trigonometry, calculus, algebra, etc. | Can study at university |
| Math literacy | Easier than math. Daily calculations such as budgets and interest. | You can study at university, but you will generally be excluded from technical studies like engineering, computer science, accounting, chemistry, and more. |
| Technical mathematics | Prepares students for careers as an electrician, installer, plumber. | No college exemption – You can only study at a technical school. |
It is clear from the table above that technical mathematics is a less favorable option for those who wish to study at a university, as it will only allow them to study at a technical school.
Therefore, the department’s assurance that the sharp decline in students enrolling in Mathematics is due to increased enrollment in Technical Mathematics infers that this will lead to an equivalent drop in the number of students who can study the most needed skills. at universities, such as engineering, software development, and more.
The most recent data shows that only 245,005 enrollment students were enrolled in math for the 2020 exams, more than 11,000 fewer than in 2019.
On the other hand, the number of math literacy enrollments increased from 349,338 in 2019 to 358,883 in 2020, an increase of more than 9,000.
Decline in student and math performance
Suellen Shay, Professor at the University of Cape Town has criticized the decline in mathematics reflected in the results of the South African matrix for 2019.
The number of students who wrote math has continued to decline each year and the pass rate has dropped to just 54%.
The minimum passing score in math is 30%.
“The drop in the number of students writing the 12th grade math test should be of great concern,” says Shay.
“Performance in math is important for college entrance. Without it, school dropouts are not eligible for college programs in science or engineering or some in commerce. “
He added that a 30% passing grade can ensure college entrance, but is too low to adequately prepare students for success at the college level.
This decline in performance and the subsequent devaluation of a passing grade in mathematics bodes ill for the skills shortage in the country, considering the constant trend away from mathematics and towards mathematics literacy, despite the former being it becomes easier to pass over the years.
Falling Math, Climbing Math Literacy
The number of students who were enrolled in Math and Math Literacy for the past four years is shown in the graph below.
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