BuaNews (Tshwane)
Tshwarelo Eseng Mogakane
27 March 2008
Polokwane — Three top Limpopo teachers will compete for the Aggrey Klaaste Maths, Science and Technology Educator of the Year awards to be held on Thursday evening.
The teachers each won R5 000 cash in the provincial leg of the competition last week.
Ben Shipalana from Nkowankowa won in the category of retired teachers, Pakeng Ntake from Kgaladi Primary School won in the general education and training category, while Matome Ramarope from Manaladzi High School won in the Further Education and Training category.
"I am very happy that mathematics is being given its due recognition," said Mr Shipalana this week.
Mr Shipalana started teaching Maths in 1971 and now not one of his students achieve less than a C symbol.
"It's like you first teach them how to place pieces on a chess board. Then they learn the names of the pieces and the moves they can make, and then you teach them to move strategically," he explained.
He said that like Maths problems, all problems in life have solutions.
Mr Shipalana said he hoped the rural teachers will come out tops in the national award categories.
"It would mean much to us as rural teachers to win the national awards because, while the urban teachers bring gadgets, we bring our brains," he said.
In order to promote Maths and Science as school subjects and address skills shortages in these fields nationally, the national Department of Education introduced the Dinaledi schools initiative in 2001.
The initiative aims to increase pupils' access to Maths, Science and Technology and boost results in these subjects, especially in poor communities.
The number of Dinaledi schools is expected to increase from 400 to 500 this year. By 2009, the department aims to enable 50 000 pupils to pass Maths on Higher Grade.
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