These workshops focus on upskilling mathematics teachers in the curriculum and also offer them assistance with the Annual National Assessments, a standardised national assessment issued by the Department of Basic Education and the systemic tests issued by the Western Cape Education Department.
The Principals Academy Trust, a Section 18(a) Trust, seeks to turn public schools serving socio-economically disadvantaged communities into Centres of Excellence by focusing on improving school leadership and teaching.
The trust offers, at no cost, academic training for their principals at the UCT Graduate School of Business, coaching /mentoring by experienced retired school principals for a minimum of three years, as well as weekly Subject Intervention workshops at selected schools to assist mathematics teachers in Grades 4, 5, and 6. These workshops are facilitated by Annette Champion and Dorothy Raine who are highly experienced mathematics teachers.
The donation is in line with Novus Holdings’ Future Foundations Initiative which was established in 2015 with a focus on improving education across the country, not only in the short term, but with a far longer reaching effect.
“We believe that providing the right type of support will help build strong foundations for education and future growth,” says Peter Metcalfe, group executive of Sales and Marketing at Novus Holdings. “By contributing to the training of the teachers, they will be better equipped to develop and empower their learners.”
The group is also providing support through the printing of some of the teaching collateral.
Through the Subject Intervention workshops, which began in 2014, teachers improve their own understanding of math processes and concepts and learn how they can add an element of fun into the lessons, which helps to improve engagement and learning.
The workshops are held at schools in Grassy Park, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Athlone, Phillippi, Gugulethu, and Lotus River. There are a total of 64 teachers in 19 schools who attend regularly. Following the success of the Grades 4, 5, and 6 workshops, the trust plans to extend the programme to Grades 7, 8 and 9 in Gugulethu and Khayelitsha.
“Our teachers are our most valuable assets. There are classes with 40–50 learners, with some of these learners being extremely weak or having severe learning problems. The support from Novus Holdings will definitely go a long way to help our teachers,” says Joanne Haw, programme coordinator of the Principals Academy Trust.
