For several years Masicorp has run a program to provide additional maths tuition to Masiphumelele High School learners, with the help of volunteer Mr Rob Douglas, a mathematics teacher from nearby Fish Hoek High School. This year Rob has started running an additional after school class on Thursdays. The sessions are run at Fish Hoek High thanks to funding from Masicorp that provides transport for the learners from Masiphumelele.

Rob’s counterpart at Masiphumelele High, Mr Mlandu, has offered the classes to his learners and arranges for about 20 students to attend each week. A few learners from Fish Hoek High also attend but the large majority of the class travel from Masiphumelele. The classes are voluntary, but are popular with those students who are keen to improve their maths grades. With mathematics remaining a problem subject area in South Africa this is an important initiative.

The learners from Masiphumelele get the advantage of Rob’s time, as well as some of his Fish Hoek colleagues and Mr Mlandu, as well as the benefits of a small class with excellent teaching facilities. Each week Mr Mlandu suggests particular problem areas in the curriculum that the class have struggled with and Rob takes them through some examples. Actual questions from past exam papers are worked through with guidance from the teaching volunteers.

As with the Saturday morning sessions, the extra tuition for the Masi High students can only help improve their Matric prospects and their willingness to attend these after school sessions a testament to the quality of education on offer and their positive attitude toward learning. Once again we have to thank the staff at both schools for making this hugely important project happen.