Around 540 of Gauteng's Grade 11 and matric learners will spend a week at the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants' (SAICA) Thuthuka Development Camps to improve their mathematics, financial literacy, accounting, english and science knowledge.
The camp is an annual initiative of the Department of Basic Education in partnership with SAICA which aims to help train learners to develop key skills identified as underdeveloped in African learners. These skills include soft skills, numeracy, study skills and examination techniques, and more, according to SAICA.
Each camp consists of five- to seven-day workshops where learners are given additional support to help them tackle complex and problematic topics in mathematics, communication, science, financial accounting, career guidance and life skills subjects.
Learners will also be exposed to lessons and motivational talks by teachers as well as representatives from universities, institutions such as the Financial Services Boards and spokespeople from various professions, says the company.
Gugu Makhanya, senior executive for Transformation and Growth at SAICA, says improving South Africa's poor high school pass rates is one of the country's greatest challenges in education and it's essential that parents, teachers, school governing bodies, government and the private sector do everything in their power to address the quality of passes high school learners achieve in these subjects.
"Established in 2005, the Thuthuka Development Camps were created to help overcome barriers to transformation within the accountancy profession. The success of these camps has enabled us to highlight our role in assisting and improving the educational standards of disadvantaged learners in SA," she explains.
Learners, she adds, were identified based on a minimum selection criteria of level 5 (60%) and above for both maths and english and an average AP score of 32 points, which secures a minimum requirement into a BCom Accountancy programme.
"At the camps, learners will take part in mock exams that help them prepare for their matric exams. The results from these are celebrated at each camp's award ceremony, where the achievements of the top mathematics, science and accounting learners are revealed to the local business, government and community stakeholders invited to attend the event.
"Facilitators consist of teachers as well as representatives from universities, institutions such as the Financial Services Boards and various professions," she points out.
Thuthuka Development Camps will also take place in other parts of the country.
Gauteng's camp venues:
The Prestige College in Hammanskraal between 25 June and 2 July 2016.
The Venue Country Hotel in Hartebeespoort between 23 and 26 September 2016.
The Prestige College in Hammanskraal between 1 and 8 October 2016.
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