Yes, there are socio economic reasons that play a role in learners dropping out of the school system. And yes, many go back to completing their education in their twenties but the problem still exists with a 31.4% unemployment rate in South Africa.
Now, if we speak strictly about education as a subject and look at why children drop out of school, there is an interesting factor that plays a pivotal role, and it is UNDERSTANDING or lack thereof.
Did you know that the main reason a child stops being interested in studying a subject and drops it, comes from their inability to comprehend what they study.
By that we mean the content and by that we mean the words. When a learner studies the content and meets a word he or she doesn’t understand the meaning of, they develop what is called a ‘blank feeling’ in their minds. It means that in their mind they cannot visualize what they are studying. One can only think with what one knows. And a person gets frustrated if they cannot think with something and eventually, they exit the subject all together. Not everyone leaves straight away. In the beginning a learner begins hating the subject that they cannot understand because they cannot think with it. Understandable so…
Mathematics is full of complicated words and concepts and if not properly taught these will confuse learners very fast and as a result they start hating Maths. The more confusion they accumulate the more they will distance themselves from maths with things such as not doing their homework, missing classes, etc.
This problem is deeper than you think. Yes, we have a problem that 40% of learners drop out of school. But what is the percentage of learners who
“drop out” of Maths class mentally? They are physically present, but earlier in their school career they decided that “they will just sit through it” but mentally they stopped participating. And this is the hidden danger.
So, why should it concern you or your company?
It should – because these learners become your employees or your service providers or municipal or government employees, our teachers, our engineers and so on. We must do something about it.
Did you know that there are earlier signs of confusion, way before a learner starts hating the subject and they can be dealt with to prevent the problem. There are also practical solutions to get learners to truly understand Maths. Maths can be understood by everyone!
We need you to join us in our crusade to uplift standards of Maths education in South Africa. Every child you decide to sponsor will be given a chance to improve their Maths understanding and performance thus opening a door to better possibilities and higher abilities to not only survive well for themselves but also contribute positively to their society.
Every teacher you decide to sponsor will get trained on how to teach Maths with full understanding and how to bring love for Maths.
You can either choose a school in your community like many of our sponsors do or support one of the schools that we already working with.
Apart from being part of the positive movement that changes children lives you also will be able to receive tax and BEE benefits that your company is entitle to when donating towards our campaign.
Click on the below links to learn how you can participate.
