Local start-up, Brighter Futures Tuition, aims to improve South African students' performance in maths and science using a combination of interactive mobile technology and tutors.
The start-up says it wants to make a difference to SA's standing in the latest World Economic Forum report, which places SA's maths quality last out of 148 countries.
A recent report by the South African Centre for Development and Enterprise noted maths and science are areas in which schools are failing their students, and deficiencies in early education leave many children with "insurmountable difficulties" as they fall further and further behind and ultimately drop out of school.
According to Brighter Futures Tuition, since 2009, there has been a 17% decline in the number of learners choosing pure maths. It adds 58% of South African learners are now choosing maths literacy.
Dr Martin Prew, an independent education specialist, says the problem often starts in primary school, where many learners fail to build the foundation maths skills. Learners then move on to high school with large chunks of maths knowledge missing, and they start failing, resulting in many of their teachers encouraging them to switch to maths literacy, he explains.
Brighter Futures Tuition has begun to support learners, parents and educators who are seeing significant maths improvements through individual learning with the use of technology. The interactive technology on mobile phones ensures each learner has a personalised learning experience pitched at their level of knowledge and understanding.
The company claims it has recorded improvements of up to 14% in maths performance of learners participating in this programme since May 2014.
Brighter Futures Tuition offers extra maths tutoring via interactive technology on mobile phones, starting at R50 an hour.
Due to demand, the start-up says there are opportunities throughout Gauteng for existing independent tutors and retired high school maths teachers to join Brighter Futures as micro business owners to help learners study at their own pace, while still getting the advantage of individual attention.
"Our technology makes the practising fun, so learners don't feel like they're doing hard work," says Joanne Brink, CEO of Brighter Futures Tuition. "This makes the tutor's job easier. The value of qualified support cannot be discounted as technology can never replace human interaction and encouragement. We are currently recruiting retiring and retired high school teachers as well as those with university-level maths skills to help us roll out the programme further."
Vodacom subscribers have free access to the mobile technology, which was developed by Siyavula, a Mark Shuttleworth Foundation beneficiary, and models the way in which pupils learn.
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