Durban — A KwaZulu-Natal teacher, who recently won a Global Best Maths Teacher Award, said he had started preparing to write a maths book to simplify the “difficult” subject.
Sandile Mathebula, known as “Maths-Son” to his pupils at Siphumelele High School in rural Mzingazi village outside Richards Bay, was chosen as the world’s best maths teacher in the Global Teachers Awards held in India recently.
Speaking to the Daily News on Thursday, Mathebula said that after winning the award, he felt he should write a maths book so all pupils should benefit, not only those from his school.
He added that it was important for him to write a book that will help the next generation to understand the maths subject better, even if he was gone. He said he had started talking to publishers so when the book was ready it would be distributed countrywide.
He said he would also engage the Department of Education curriculum developers to consider his book for use in schools.
“I was encouraged by being chosen as the world’s best maths teacher, so my focus now is writing the book to simplify the subject which everyone regards as difficult. For me, it is not difficult, but the authors of the curriculum did not put much effort into simplifying it for pupils.
“As we all know that at one stage we are all going to die, it is important that I do not die with the knowledge that would be required in my absence. So I am now focusing on writing the book so that pupils will continue to benefit from it even after my death,” said Mathebula.
The 29-year-old, originally from Ncotshane village in Pongola, northeast of KZN, started teaching the subject just after completing his matric.
He said it was always his dream to see pupils acing maths and science, the subjects often regarded as the hardest in high school.
Mathebula said while teaching, he registered for a Bachelor of Education degree which he passed with flying colours. He said even though he knew he was good at what he does, it never clicked in his mind that he would, this soon, find himself having to accept an international award under his name.
“I am filled with gratitude. The international recognition surely pushes me to continue changing more lives through chalk and a textbook,” said Mathebula.
“To all pupils struggling with maths and science, I am available to assist them through online channels I will announce soon,” he said.
Daily News