Durban - More than 15 000 pupils from across South Africa have improved their results by accessing tutors, worksheets and videos on the WhatsApp Maths Hotline this year
The hotline was established by education non-profit OLICO Maths Education and first emerged as a means of staying connected to schoolchildren during the hard lockdown in 2020.
More than 15 700 South African children have accessed the hotline, which is backed by the Datatec Education and Technology Foundation, this year alone.
OLICO co-founder and executive director Andrew Barrett said while the service is available nationally, the organisation has been working especially closely with district officials and rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal’s Amajuba District to optimise its use.
“When Grade 9 learners in our KZN partner schools started algebra in the second term this year, they were also instructed to participate in an Algebra Challenge on WhatsApp when they were at home. The Algebra Challenge mirrored what the teachers were doing in class and provided an opportunity to reinforce the prior content knowledge of learners,” he explains.
“When learners got stuck on the challenge, they could ask to speak to a human tutor who could then diagnose the issue and guide the learner towards a deeper understanding. This is just one example of the kind of impact the hotline is making in the province.”
Syanda Phakathi, a Grade 9 pupil at Bethamoya Senior Secondary School in Newcastle, believes any child using the service will see an immediate improvement in results.
“The help is really good and I’m thankful for everything the Maths Hotline does for me.”
Barrett said the hotline stands as a unique offering in that there is no other solution like it for low-income communities in South Africa.
“The intention is not a ‘drop-and-run’ or once-off solution. It is a consistent support system for learners as they move through their maths backlogs and grade-level curriculums,” he said.
He estimates that 25 000 pupils will have accessed the hotline by the end of the year.
Thabile Mandane, Responsible Business Coordinator: People and Communities at the Datatec Education and Technology Foundation, said the recent floods in KZN negatively impacted more than 630 schools.
Mandane said the looting that followed affected a further 144 schools and learning centres.
“These events led to the loss of crucial teaching and assessment time in the province. We recognise that for KwaZulu-Natal to make inroads in its recovery journey, a multi-stakeholder approach is required.
Mandane said the introduction of the OLICO WhatsApp Hotline combines a low-tech tool and a structured education approach that can reach and support more learners virtually by providing access to lesson plans, worksheets, an online maths portal and skilled tutors.
Barrett said: “By simply sending a WhatsApp message to 0600 39 00 00, a learner is granted direct access to a trained maths tutor for Grades 7–10, thousands of maths worksheets and tutorial videos, as well as automated lesson pathways on key maths concepts.”