Getting Grade 10 Mathematics #BackOnTrack

This morning I visited some of the 440 Grade 10 learners from the Metro South Education District who are attending #BackOnTrack Mathematics classes at the University of the Western Cape this week.

The Grade 10 Mathematics intervention is a very important part of the programme. Last year’s systemic test results showed that Grade 9 learners were struggling with the Maths component, and the pass rate for Grade 9 Mathematics had dropped to just 18.8%. This was a decrease of 3.9 percentage points from pre-Covid scores, which were already too low at 22.7% in 2019.

These learners are in Grade 10 this year, and we need to make sure that we get their Maths scores #BackOnTrack as they move through their last three years of school, which is a crucial stage of their schooling career in the run up to matric.

The Metro South Education District approached UWC to host the classes, and the University kindly donated the use of its venues. UWC will also be engaging with the learners during the programme, which is an excellent opportunity for the participants and will hopefully encourage them to attend university once they matriculate.

Nearly 400 Grade 8 learners from the district are also attending #BackOnTrack classes in both Mathematics and Language at UWC. We appreciate this innovative partnership to improve the learning outcomes of learners in the Western Cape.

We must recognise the tremendous effort that all of our education districts are putting into the #BackOnTrack programme. Throughout the holidays they have been preparing for and running the various Grade 7, 8, 10 and 12 camps and classes. We also appreciate the work of our schools that have hosted classes, and the tutors who teach the learners participating in the programme.

Most importantly, we want to thank the learners, who keep showing up to class day after day, giving up their holidays and braving the cold weather to improve their learning outcomes. The enthusiasm and commitment I saw this morning is truly inspiring, and I cannot wait to see what bright futures lie ahead for these learners!