Maths doesn't have to add up to misery‚ say top achievers' schools

05 January 2017 - 19:07 By Tanya Steenkamp
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File photo.
File photo.
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

Maths is the subject pupils love to hate but the schools that produced this year’s star performers say it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Western Cape produced the top three maths pupils in the matric class of 2016 and principals and teachers at their schools agreed that quality teaching and support at primary school level were the keys to success.

  • Western Cape cuts under-performing schools from 27 to 19The number of "under-performing" schools in the Western Cape - those with matric pass rates below 60% - dropped from 27 to 19 in 2016‚ education MEC Debbie Schäfer announced on Thursday. 

Greg Hassenkamp — principal at Hermanus High‚ which produced South Africa's top mathematics pupil‚ Conrad Strydom — said the school focused on preparing pupils for tertiary education‚ and mathematics and science are important subjects.

“We are very chuffed with the results. We’ve got quality maths and science teachers at our school‚” said Hassenkamp.

  • KZN's top achievers share their matric exam success secretsConsistency and balance – that’s the secret to making it through the matric exams‚ say some of this year’s top achievers in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Second spot went to Bronson Rudner‚ of South African College High School in Newlands‚ where principal Ken Ball said the 117 matriculants who took maths averaged 73.8%.

“SACS is just an all-around talented school. We strive for excellence in everything and have to set the bar high. We have professional and competent teachers with a great work ethic‚” said Ball.

  • Elated‚ excited and grateful - KZN's top matriculant celebrates her achievementKwaZulu-Natal top matriculant Romal Naidoo was so shaken by her remarkable achievement that she was speechless when called onto the stage at the Durban ICC on Thursday. 

Renée Fourie — a member of the management team at Rustenberg Girls’ High in Rondebosch‚ which produced Hannah Clayton‚ the final member of the top three — said: “You don't suddenly get good grades in matric. It starts in primary school and takes parental support.”

The school's head of sciences and mathematics‚ Bridget Cameron‚ said the key to its success was small streamed classes.

“In our context it works and it’s the nature of the teachers. There is no shame in being in the bottom class. In fact pupils like it‚ as they get more attention from the teacher‚” said Cameron.

To check your results‚ visit http://matric.sowetanlive.co.za/

- TMG Digital/The Times

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