The Namibian Mathematics Institute (NMI) director Pieter Erwee has hailed the impact that Nedbank Namibia’s sponsorship had on a two-day mathematics workshop held at Katima Mulilo.
The workshop held last month introduced a new mathematics guide called “Map Mathematics” to 22 senior secondary (grades 10 and 11) mathematics teachers representing different schools in the Zambezi educational region.
The Map Mathematics which was developed by the Namibian Mathematics Institute is a hands-on teaching guide that covers a range of mathematics topics, using maps of Namibia and Africa.
“The Nedbank Namibia sponsorship of N$68 000 was part of a bigger project,” says Erwee.
The project at Katima Mulilo covered various mathematical topics like distance, speed, duration, ratios, rates, bearings, vectors and trigonometry using this practical approach to ensure that learners appreciate the need for mathematics in everyday life.
“The Namibian Mathematics Institute is a small non-governmental organisation, with no full-time staff. I run mathematics projects across the country, depending on availability of sponsorships,” adds Erwee.
At the end of the workshop held at Katima Mulilo, each teacher received 60 of these map mathematics sets to share with fellow educators and implement at their respective schools.
“This is also a proven approach to remove the typical fear of mathematics in learners,” said Erwee
Erwee develops practical mathematics teaching aids for mathematics teachers.
According to the National Institute for Education Development (NIED), the teaching of mathematics in Namibia has been a challenge since independence in 1990. The learners’ performance in mathematics at the senior secondary schools’ level has been unimpressive.
The government has since developed the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), which addresses a wide range of issues, especially with key interventions in subjects such as mathematics, science and English.
Erwee, who until six years ago was still a full-time employee at a university, retired to help improve the standard of mathematics in high school.
“Mathematics is my passion, and it is the most problematic subject for learners in Namibia. I train teachers and provide them with these materials to implement in school. The feedback I get from teachers is always encouraging,” said Erwee.
The Namibian Mathematics Institute’s work was however impacted by the effects of COVID-19.
“I did not conduct workshops last year because of COVID restrictions,” said Erwee.
Erwee said the Namibian Mathematics Institute has developed a range of practical mathematics teaching aids over the past 20 years of its existence, in an attempt to improve learner performance at different school levels.
He emphasised the need to improve the mathematics performance of learners by the end of the senior secondary phase (grade 11) because only learners achieving a C-symbol or better in the final examination will be allowed to enroll for further mathematical studies in Grade 12 for example at the NSSCAS level.
According to Erwee, the positive attitude of participants experienced during the workshop was very encouraging, especially in light of challenging working conditions i.e., many of them have
overcrowded classrooms of over 50 learners.
Speaking on Nedbank’s involvement, Selma Kaulinge Manager for Communication and PR at Nedbank said, “Our social responsibility forms part of our Nedbank purpose of being money experts who do good for staff, customers and communities. We encourage a culture of giving as it strengthens the communities in which we live and work. By uniting communities, we can bridge some of the social, economic and political gaps in our country. Thus, empowering young minds under the Namibian Mathematics Institute remains at the heart of what we do.”