Mmusi Maimane's movement aims to give SA pupils 'a fighting chance in maths & science'

Mmusi Maimane says the time for talk is over, as his movement seeks to give schoolchildren a “fighting” chance to pass subjects like maths and science.

This comes three weeks after the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) expressed concern regarding poor maths performance by the class of 2019.

Umalusi chairperson John Volmink told a press conference in Pretoria that teachers would have to teach the subject differently to see an improvement in pupil performance. 

“Umalusi has observed a worrying trend in mathematics, where the subject does not seem to be progressing in tandem with other cognate subjects in terms of learner performance.

“The decrease in candidate numbers in mathematics and the concomitant increase in numbers offering mathematical literacy remain a matter of concern. It’s not getting any worse and it’s not getting any better - it’s staying in the same place," he said. 

On Twitter on Monday, Maimane said he and his team were ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work, as “politicians have been talking for too long”.

In two other tweets, the former DA leader made it clear that he had moved on from the “old politics” of debating and discussing the country's most pressing issues instead of fixing them. He said 2020 was the year to achieve the SA he wanted.