“Teachers were not properly equipped to be able to teach mathematical literacy.” - DR ROSE SPANNENBERG
A true leader who empowers with figures others in the Eastern Cape and beyond. That is Dr Rose Spannenberg, who has just been singled out, along with 62 other South African women in Women Making it Happen a special publication by the Impumelelo Social Innovations Centre.
Spannenberg (65) is director of the Rhodes University Mathematics Education Programme (RUMEP), where some 726 mathematics teachers have been trained since 2002.
“Our focus has always been on rural and township schools. It has always been a great privilege for me to serve these teachers,” says Spannenberg.
Her involvement with RUMEP began in 1993 when, together with Mr John Stoker, she started informal work sessions at primary schools.
With the establishment of the Rhodes Sishen Iron Ore Company Development Trust last year, the programme is now bursting at the seams.
As part of this, RUMEP is currently helping to train educators in Kimberley, Kuruman and Postmasburg, among others, in the Northern Cape.
“I am so proud of each of the people with whom I have worked,” says Spannenberg.
But Ms. Thoto Ndladlambe (48) of Sterkspruit is one teacher who makes her heart beat especially warmly.
Ndladlambe has finally exchanged her post at the Eslindi Primary School in Sterkspruit for a post as an exchange student at a school in Washington in the USA.
“I never did very well before I received the RUMEP training. I have learned many valuable lessons, like how to use concrete objects creatively in lessons,” Ndladlambe says.
And today, as the Eastern Cape Education Department’s mathematics and science adviser, she in turn empowers others. “I think the great value of what we do at RUMEP is that our programme gives teachers greater self-confidence. Many teachers in the rural areas had never even heard of the curriculum changes before we reached them,” says Ndladlambe.
And the formula applied by Spannenberg and her RUMEP team works – in 2010 there was a 30% increase in the average results of Grade 3 learners whose teachers had benefited from the programme.
Although the government invests millions of rands in mathematics and science teaching, Spannenberg feels more can still be done.
“There isn’t any other specific grade that I could identify that needs as much attention.”
And, just like Dr Mamphela Ramphele, the activist and academic, and Professor Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Spannenberg feels that mathematics literacy does children an injustice.
“There was too little time when the curriculum changed. Teachers were not adequately equipped to teach mathematics literacy.
“Without mathematics, children who want to obtain a university qualification in a mathematical or scientific field will battle.
“I don’t know why I chose mathematics as an area of specialisation, but I believe that I am where I am today because I started right at the bottom of the ladder as a teacher.”
Six other Eastern Cape women are also honoured in Women Making it happen.
Written by Anri Hendriks, of Die Burger: Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Picture supplied by Rumep