Pupils choosing easier subjects

4 26.06.2013 Mpumelo Mali 25 year old student of Unisa, is tutoring maths and science from his home garage to pupils around his community in Mabopane, Pretoria. Picture: Sharon Seretlo

4 26.06.2013 Mpumelo Mali 25 year old student of Unisa, is tutoring maths and science from his home garage to pupils around his community in Mabopane, Pretoria. Picture: Sharon Seretlo

Published Jul 1, 2013

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Johannesburg - Subject selection for Grade 9 pupils getting into the further education and training phase – grades 10 to 12 – can be tricky.

There’s a temptation to pick easy subjects for an easy pass. But those easy subjects can become an obstacle when pupils apply to further their studies.

When they reach Grade 10, pupils must choose seven subjects. Two must be languages – a home language plus a first additional language.

Pupils must choose between maths or maths literacy. Life orientation is compulsory. Three other subjects are selected from a list of 29.

Since the introduction of maths literacy in 2008, when the National Senior Certificate curriculum was introduced, more pupils have been opting for maths literacy – a considerably easier subject than pure maths.

A South African Institute of Race Relations report released in April this year found that in 2008, 35 000 more pupils took maths than those who did maths literacy.

This ratio has been reversed; it was found that last year, 65 000 more pupils took maths literacy than those who took maths.

 

Institute researcher Jonathan Snyman said: “The South African economy is becoming an increasingly tertiary-based one, requiring a more skilled workforce. Anecdotal evidence points to the fact that most pupils choose their subjects based on what they think they can pass in Grade 12, without realising that many courses at university will not accept candidates with only maths literacy.”

A third-year chemistry and microbiology student at Unisa is trying to change this trend.

Mpumelelo Mali, 25, tutors maths and science to high school pupils from his garage in his Mabopane home, just outside Pretoria.

What started off as random sessions helping his peers with their schoolwork turned into fully fledged paid-for tutorials in 2011.

For R100 a month, high school pupils from grades 10 to 12 receive maths and science tutorials from Mali and two of his friends from 5pm to 7pm on weekdays.

“I came from a privileged school but people from around here go to schools that aren’t well equipped with things like science labs. I saw that as an opportunity to help people,” he said.

 

“I’m trying to partner with the University of Pretoria. I know that for engineering students to graduate, they must do 40 hours of community service. I’m trying to get (the university) to give us a bunch of students who will tutor during their holidays for their community service,” Mali said.

Education analyst and senior lecturer at Unisa’s College of Education, Moeketsi Letseka, said parents must guide their children, based on the child’s academic record.

He said that if pupils are forced into paths they aren’t inclined towards, they tend to drop out. - The Star

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