On Human Rights Day we commemorate those who gave their lives for a democratic South Africa, and reflect on some of the challenges that educators, learners and parents face. We acknowledge the tutors, teachers and our programme staff who count amongst the so many who work to ensure that quality learning takes place in mathematics....
Whether you call it Pi Day or International Day of Mathematics, maths fundis around the world let their hair down in celebration. In the third month, on the fourteenth day, and at the fifteenth hour the numbers align as 3.1415! Some folk celebrate quite literally, by eating "pies". Pi (as represented by the lower-case Greek...
At the crack of dawn, on Sunday, 24 February 2021, the JumpStart WhatsApp groups were abuzz with excitement. Radio 702's Weekend Breakfast show host, Refiloe Mpakanyane, had invited our General Manager, Callen Hodgskiss, to talk about JumpStart's maths education and youth employment projects on air. Tutors listened in from around the province, and friends of...
Way back when. in January 2020, before we all wore masks and sanitised our hands into old age, our team welcomed the interns to the year that had just kicked off! We even wrote a blog post about the day - Terrific 20-somethings learn and hope! A few short weeks later, education as we knew...
When JumpStart tutors faced the delayed return to school due to Covid-19 the team turned the disappointment into an exciting opportunity. The extra time was a bonus. We chose to tutor our tutors in an expanded way. Programme Director, Jabu Thomo, planned a series of workshops over four days at various venues suitable for socially...
Dimakatso Skabata is an intern with a full dance card! On the work side, this 29-year-old splits her time between Kopanelang Thuto Primary, where she tutors six Grade 1 classes and a single Grade 2 class. She also helps out at Taaibos Primary, where she's works with four Grade 1 classes. Maki, as her friends...
On World Education Day South African children should be polishing their school shoes and sharpening their pencils. Instead they await a delayed return to school. Today we give thanks to those who have gone the extra mile during the pandemic to minimise the effects of disrupted education. We join hands with the 1.6 billion students...
When Deputy Basic Education Minister Reginah Mhaule announced the delayed re-opening of schools last Friday, the JumpStart team was relieved and dismayed. We respond here with our plans for the year that now starts on 15 February:...
JumpStart's robotics and coding programme was featured in the Mail & Guardian as 2020 came to a close. Journalist, Khaya Koko, took an interest in the programme and interviewed Daniella Lekgau, who is the Robotics & Coding Project Manager who successfully took the project online during lockdown. He wrote a comprehensive article about the Grade...
Earlier this month, the bleak news of the international TIMSS study 2019 registered with South African educators and parents. It’s hard to comprehend that a staggering 63% of Grade 5 learners lack basic maths comprehension. This means that they are unlikely to succeed in higher grade mathematics. The root cause of this problem is a...
