Scientists and researchers from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have signed up as tutors for Dr Math, in support of the call to 'give 67 minutes' in support of Mandela Day on 18 July.
Dr Math is an ICT system developed by the CSIR's Meraka Institute. Through the programme, running from 12 to 24 July, CSIR personnel aim to add value to the lives of local scholars who need additional assistance in subjects like mathematics, chemistry, physics, life sciences and information technology.
Says Meraka Institute's Laurie Butgereit, one of the brains behind the development of Dr Math: “This initiative will see learners having access to a group of registered tutors online to receive their requests via MXit, a popular chat service among pupils. A flow management system ensures that the requests are distributed to the available tutors.”
Butgereit says the timing of the programme is convenient for both the tutors and scholars. “The two-week period spanning Mandela Day will correspond with the reopening of schools after the long winter holidays. Kids have been contacting us during the holidays and we are sure we will receive numerous requests for help as the last two terms of 2010 kick off.”
She adds that one of the initiative's objectives is to assist pupils when they get stuck with mathematics homework. “Our goal is to just give them a resource to use when schools are closed and people should understand that we are not 'teachers' and that we are not in any way taking the place of teachers. We only help when the teachers are not available - primarily after school hours and on weekends.”
To ensure effective learning among the pupils, the tutors will focus mainly on imparting teaching methods rather than giving out solutions. “We encourage tutors to teach methods, rather than supplying the answers,” says Butgereit.
Mandela Day is an annual celebration of the life of former SA president Nelson Mandela and a global call to action for people to recognise their individual ability to make a mark and change the world around them.
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