The non-profit organisation founded to assist matric students with additional skills in maths, science and accounting has seen 31 of its 114 students from 15 high schools in Katlehong achieve outstanding results. The programme saw 101 distinctions by the group of 31 top achieving students, 24 of which were in physical science, 31 in mathematics and the remainder in other disciplines. Albert Zitha, the top student from Fumana Secondary School received 100% in maths, 100% in science and 92% in maths paper 3.
Amongst the 114 students who wrote mathematics, 90% achieved marks of 50% and above. For 73 of the 114 students who wrote maths paper 3, an optional paper, 90% received marks of 46% and above. 86% of students who wrote Science received marks of 50% and above.
Ivan Mzimela, group executive for Group Strategic Services at Liberty comments, "We would like to congratulate the 2012 matriculants who have completed the Promaths programme with Kutlwanong for achieving such outstanding results, especially in the areas of maths and science. The 2013 sponsorship will see more students receive the support they need to go the extra mile in their educational journey. As a company, we seek to empower learners to take charge of their lives through knowledge so that they can in turn, make a difference in their communities and become the kind of leaders that will carry our country into the future."
Tumelo Mabitsela MD of Kutlwanong thanked the group for its commitment to sponsoring the Promaths programme in Katlehong for 2013. "Providing support to these students will encourage them even more to realise their future dreams of success. It is through the support of organisations like this that we are able to assist young people to make this a reality."
The need for quality education is placed high on government's agenda as a national imperative. Currently South Africa has a significant skills gap in careers that require the fields of maths and science. The group, with its legacy in education, which spans over four decades, has long recognised that the private sector has a critical role to play in working with government in order to have a meaningful impact on the education system.
The group's strategy is a holistic one, which focuses on an end-to-end approach, supporting initiatives that address the challenges facing the education system from Grade R to Matric. In addition to this Promaths programme, it funds a number of other programmes including teacher support programmes aimed at up-skilling teachers as well as a number of programmes providing curriculum based support materials to schools across the country.
"Through its support of such initiatives, the group seeks to entrench its commitment to education and to make a sustainable difference in communities addressing their needs in a way that will benefit them over the long term. It is also our way of assisting government in relevant ways to advance its efforts towards the continuous provision of quality education," concludes Ivan.
