ADVERTORIAL NOMAXABISO MATJILA
Supporting the advancement of education IN THE ERA OF A PANDEMIC Mathematics and Science! For some learners they just click and become a lifelong fascination. For others these subjects are the most dreaded part of the school curriculum. But whichever side you find yourself on, it’s undeniable that Maths and Science are more important than ever. Even if you aren’t aiming to enter the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) field, there are a surprising number of other careers that still require Maths and Science. From attorneys to architects, air traffic controllers to political scientists, the critical thinking skills and numerical literacy that come with these subjects are essential. The COVID-19 pandemic has been brutal on our education system. Since the announcement of the pandemic in 2020, schooling has been interrupted, with pupils unable to go to school for months on end. Many teachers and schools struggled to gather
resources for online learning; and for those that did, learning these new processes was a significant challenge.
We have been able to deliver 113 504 video lessons to learners countrywide Even before the pandemic, there was a worrying drop in academic performance, particularly in Maths and Science across the country. But then, 2020 proved even worse, and it was heartwrenching to see most learners struggle with their education – particularly the learners from previously disadvantaged communities, whose futures would otherwise have been brighter. 2021 saw us and our partners putting into action ways in which technology can be used to bridge the gap of face-toface learning. For example, through our partnership with Primestars Digital, free lessons
10 | Public Sector Leaders | February 2022
were also placed online (and were zero-rated by Cell C) and free revision notes were provided through a WhatsApp service. In 2021, we reached over 24 977 matriculants, 50 999 WhatsApp revision notes requested and 850 online engagements. This is why we at Liberty decided to double down, spending R44.9-million on CSI initiatives in 2021. Most importantly, we knew that we would have to find new ways to help those whose schools were suffering. The landscape of education was already changing, but the pandemic sent this trend into overdrive. Digital solutions had to be embraced, and they had to be engaging, aimed at the next generation of leaders who needed to be inspired. Naturally, for many of South Africa’s learners, the struggle for data, equipment and even basic infrastructure is continuous and ever growing. This was why we had to strike partnerships that could create accessible and
