SA needs a maths makeover: Expert
University of Witwatersrand maths lecturer Jacques du Plessis believes teachers need much more support, if South Africa is to finally improve its performance in the subject.
Quality assurance body Umalusi approved the release of the 2016 matric results, but warned that Maths remains a problem. Over 800 000 candidates enrolled for this year's exams.
It is one of 28 subjects where results were adjusted upwards.
Umalusi chairman John Volmink says there has been little improvement in Maths results over the years.
"We have not been able to move the needle. It is one subject where the performance is completely flat. It is alarming that since 2014 Mathematical Literacy (Maths Lit) is no longer the soft option it used to be, Maths Lit is as hard as Maths," Volmink says.
While Du Plessis doesn't believe either paper is especially difficult, he agrees that Maths Lit needs a makeover.
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He says many of the problems have to do with the teaching of the subject, and that teachers need more support.
"If your content is weak then your pedagogical content will also be weak "
He adds that what seems to have made the paper harder is the reintroduction of difficult sections like geometry, which makes up large portions of the paper.
"Teachers battle with those sections traditionally. Its not going to go away until we train and support teachers on how to teach these sections," Du Plessis says.