Mathematics Subject Advisors’ Training

Statistics South Africa, in collaboration with the National Department of Education, hosted a Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy Subject Advisors’ Content Workshop. It was a week-long workshop held at Diep in die Berg Conference Centre from 21 to 25 April 2008. The main purpose of the workshop was to equip the subject advisors with data handling and probability skills so that they are in a position to transfer the acquired skills to the mathematics teachers, who in turn will impart the knowledge to the learners in their respective provinces, as these concepts have been introduced as part of the learning outcome 4 (LO4) of the new school curriculum.

Participants who attended the workshop

About 130 mathematics subject advisors from different provinces attended the workshop. The provincial maths4stats coordinators were also part of the workshop. Ms Jackie Scheiber of RADMASTE Centre (which is attached to the University of Witwatersrand) gave a two and a half-day training on Data Handling; and Professor Delia North, head of the School of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the University of KwaZulu-Natal provided training on probability concepts and theory.

It was a hands-on workshop with participants given real life practical classroom activities in order to have a good understanding of the concepts. All participants were assessed at the end of the training and will be awarded with certificates.

The provincial maths4stats coordinators were given an opportunity to meet with the subject advisors in their respective provinces to get to know each other better and discuss a way forward on how they will work together towards the training of teachers.