If a rugby squad consists of 30 players but 40% of the players catch a stomach bug before a game, how many players are left to play?
If a rugby squad consists of 30 players but 40% of the players catch a stomach bug before a game, how many players are left to play?
If the number of pupils in a school increased from 970 pupils in 2008 to 1150 pupils in 2009, what is the percentage increase in the enrolment at the school? And if four million Zimbabwean citizens indicate they are going to vote in the next elections but two million say they won’t, what percentage of Zimbabweans will vote?
Stumped? Feel stupid? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. According to a 2002 national journalism skills audit conducted by the South African National Editors’ Forum, more than 100 reporters from around South Africa were asked the question about Zimbabwe and only half got the answer right.
In 2006, Robert Brand, the Pearson Chair of Economics Journalism at Rhodes University, studied 12 consecutive editions of the daily newspaper, the Cape Times. Of the 230 stories printed in those 12 editions that were written by South African journalists, 92 contained a quantitative element. Of those 92 stories, 26 contained errors. It appaers that journalists don’t do numbers – well not very well, in any case.
But numerical incompetence is not limited to journalists and in order to analyse and interpret everyday situations, it is crucial that people are mathematically literate. In an article published in the Cape Times (all the numbers added up in this one!), past president of the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa Aarnout Brombacher says it is important that people are mathematically literate so they know, for example, how to manage their finances, understand the impact of hire-purchase agreements on their disposable income and know that there’s no such thing as a free cellphone or ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ numbers in the lottery.
In January 2006, the Department of Education introduced mathematical literacy (ML) in schools in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase (Grades 10 to 12). The subject was introduced to address the high levels of innumeracy in South Africa and to accommodate the approximately 50% of students who did not take mathematics in Grades 10 to 12. It is hoped ML will enable learners to think quantitatively and spatially and critically analyse situations. Whereas learners previously had the option of studying higher or standard grade mathematics or not taking mathematics at all, they are now required to choose between mathematics or ML.
Dr Mellony Graven, Director of Mathematics at St Andrew’s College and DSG and visiting professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, says these are two different and distinct subjects and ML should not be seen as an equivalent to the old standard grade mathematics. According to Graven, mathematics focuses on formal, more abstract mathematical concepts such as trigonometry and geometry, whereas ML focuses on the areas in everyday life where mathematics is needed.
While Graven thinks ML could benefit learners, she says the problem is that the pass mark is 30% and so even if learners pass their exams, if they’re getting between 30% and 50%, they’re not mathematically literate. Graven believes the way the paper is currently written makes it easy for learners to pass. She also says it is important that teachers keep things current and have a range of sources when teaching the subject. The problem however, is that this is not always possible, especially in a country where there appears to be a constant lack of resources and skilled teachers.
Despite the potential problems ML may face, Graven says she has seen some "powerful stuff" happening in schools since the subject was introduced and believes it has the potential to improve numeracy levels in South Africa.
