Overview of maths and science support models
| Model | Examples | Pros | Cons |
| Learner support | • ProMaths • PROTEC • Engen Maths and Science Centres | • Direct academic improvement • High distinction rates • Structured tutoring and camps• Career guidance• • Teacher support can extend reach | • High cost per learner • Limited reach compared to whole-school models • Often excludes lower-performing learners •Doesn’t impact the system, especially if teacher support is not included |
| Teacher support | • Initial teacher education support • ISASA ITE initiative • Global Teacher Institute (GTI) Future Leaders •Khanyisa Inanda Seminary • In-service teacher support • Maths Centre • CASME | • Improves classroom delivery • Builds long-term capacity • SACE-accredited training • Pedagogical innovation | • Requires sustained funding, and can be expensive with coaching, mentoring and internships • Impact depends on school leadership as well as whether coaching is offered after training • May lack integration with curriculum reforms • Doesn’t impact the wider system |
| School support | • Epoch & Optima • Capitec Whole School Approach (blended learning) • Anglo American Education Programme (tech-enabled) • IDC Adopt a School | • Whole school change across leadership, teaching, and infrastructure • Strong community engagement | • Slower measurable impact and more difficult to attribute the cause of any change • Requires multi-stakeholder coordination • Can be diluted if not well managed • Positive impact for the schools involved, but does not influence/improve the wider system |
| University support | • FirstRand Mathematics Education Chairs Initiative (MECI) • SARChI (South African Research Chairs Initiative) Mathematics Education Chair at WITS | • Research-based innovation • Long-term systemic change if scaled • Professional development for teachers • National policy influence | • Limited direct learner engagement • Dependent on academic cycles • Requires strong university partnerships with schools |
| Online models | • MTN Online School • Vodacom e-Learning • Siyavula • Monyetla Bursary Project • Mathletics MathsBuddy • Olico • Count Africa | • Scalable and cost-effective • Can be personalised to learners’ level • Flexible access for learners and teachers • Useful during disruptions (eg. Covid-19) • Can collect and provide data during operations | • Digital divide limits access • Requires strong facilitation • Engagement can be low without blended support • Requires an intensive process to embed within the schooling system • Requires the capacity to manage data |
| Specialist schools | • LEAP Science and Maths schools | • Direct academic improvement | • Expensive • Runs parallel to the public system |
Learner support
Learner support is the most common type of corporate maths and science support.
Interventions that specifically support learners with maths and science include online tuition, supplementary teaching, coaching, communities of practice, holiday programmes, and after-school programmes.
The factors that influence outcomes and cost-effectiveness include:
- Year/grade support starts
- Intensity of programming (frequency and duration)
- Format of training (online, in person, hybrid)
- Selection criteria for learners and teachers
- Support for teachers
- Curricula followed
- Inclusion of language
- Size of classes
Cost effectiveness
- Programmes range from R2 000 – R10 000 per learner per year, depending on the factors above
Outcomes
- Improved maths and science pass rates, university entrance rates and distinctions
Overall comments on model
- Helps thousands of learners each year to improve their maths and science grades
- Selection criteria biased to better performing/committed learners, which may be a key determinant of improved results, but may leave many behind
- Without teacher support, no ongoing impact on the broader system. With teacher support, impacts the schools that teachers are from, but not overall policy or processes
- Runs parallel to government education
- Relatively high cost per learner
Teacher support
Teacher support specifically supports teachers with initial teacher education or in-service training, mentorship and coaching.
Factors that influence outcomes and cost effectiveness include:
- When in-career training offered (pre-service, in-service)
- Support of the DBE and school structures (principal, school management teams, school governing bodies)
- Buy-in and commitment of teachers
- Services offered (training, mentorship, coaching, in-class support, etc.)
- Intensity of programming (frequency and duration) – to be sufficient to ensure shifts in practice, taking into account teacher turnover and refresher support
- Format of training (online, in person, hybrid)
Cost effectiveness
- Huge variation in cost per teacher depending on model
Outcomes
- Certified teacher development, improved teacher confidence, improved teacher practice, improved learner results
Overall comments on model
- Main determinants of teacher quality are selection, academic education and initial teacher education (ITE), hence limits in impact achievable through in-service training
- In service teacher training has not yielded good results if not accompanied by coaching and mentoring
- Fairly expensive model as requires ongoing coaching to yield results
- Needs to be tailored to accommodate variations in teacher competency, grade levels, and pedagogical support versus subject knowledge
- Teachers need to be interested/incentivised to participate
- Additional time requirements and logistical costs can be barriers
- With in the region of 450 000 teachers in South Africa, many interventions are localised and not systemic
- Difficult to show direct attribution to improved learner performance given other influences in the school system
- Substantial learner gains in mathematics from teacher interventions take time to show
Teacher support pre-service
| | ISASA Initial Teacher Education Programme | Global Teacher Institute (GTI) – Future Leaders Programme | Khanyisa Inanda Seminary Community Projects |
| Programme overview | Partnership between ISASA, Investec, and DBE Offers bursaries for four-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) or one-year Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at UNISA in Maths, Science, and English Includes tuition, books, stipends and accommodation Combined with school-based internships, mentorship at top-performing schools. | School-based teacher internship model for pre-service teachers; Combines distance learning (B.Ed./PGCE) with practical experience and mentorship | Established in 2016 Focuses on Initial Teacher Education, In-service Teacher Development, and Leadership Development. Includes Saturday schools and ICT access projects. Includes psychosocial support |
| Reach | Operates across ISASA’s 870 member schools Hundreds of interns placed annually | Active in seven hubs across South Africa Goal to train 1 000 teachers by 2026 | Works with 70+ schools in KwaZulu-Natal |
| Recruitment | Applicants must have 60%+ in Pure Maths, Science, or English Enrolled in B.Ed. or PGCE (often via UNISA) Under 30 Required to teach at public schools | Focus on rural and township schools Interns study via distance learning while placed in host schools | Foundation & Intermediate Phase B.Ed. students (distance learning) NSFAS-funded preferred |
| Annual budget | Funded by Investec and ISASA Estimated R20-30 million/year | Estimated R15-20 million/year (donor-funded) | Estimated R10-15 million/year |
| Corporate supporters | Investec | Maitri Trust, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Teach With Africa | Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Zenex Foundation, Penreach |
| Results | Increase in qualified maths and science teachers in SA Strong pipeline into independent schools Graduates often absorbed into teaching posts | 88% employment absorption within a year of graduation Strong leadership pipeline | Improved teaching quality and learner outcomes Strong community engagement |
Teacher support in-service
| | Maths Centre | CASME (Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Education) | Siemens Stiftung – Experimento & Design Thinking in STEM |
| Programme overview | Founded in 1985; supports Grades R-12 and out-of-school youth; strong teacher training focus | NGO focused on STEM teacher development and learner support in rural schools | Active since 2012 Focuses on creative, value-based STEM education through teacher training and classroom implementation Includes Experimento (hands-on science kits) and Design Thinking in STEM. |
| Reach | Nine provinces, 130+ schools, 50+ projects | National (rural KZN, EC, NW) | Active in Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Gauteng; includes Mandela School of Science & Technology and African Leadership Academy |
| Learners reached pa | 10 000+ learners | ~10 000+ | Estimated ~3 000-5 000 |
| Teachers reached pa | ~500 teachers | ~1 000+ | ~300+ teachers trained via certified SACE-accredited courses |
| Corporate supporters | Shell, Engen, UBS, Sci-Bono, DBE | Zenex Foundation, Old Mutual, DBE | Siemens Stiftung, STEAM Foundation, University of Cape Town |
| Learner recruitment | Disadvantaged schools; underperforming learners | Partner schools and DBE | Partner schools selected; focus on underserved communities |
| Teacher recruitment | SACE-registered; trained in CAPS & pedagogy | In-service teachers via DBE | Teachers trained via certified PD courses; focus on creative pedagogy |
| Structure | School-based support + workshops + camps | Teacher workshops, mobile labs, classroom coaching | Hands-on science experiments, SDG-aligned design thinking, teacher-led implementation |
| Results | Turnaround in failing schools; strong teacher development | Improved teacher confidence and rural learner performance | Improved engagement in science Certified teacher development; integration of sustainability and creativity into STEM lessons |
School support
School support comprises a range of services/programmes, including principal and school management team support, teacher and learner support, psychosocial support and technology support.
Factors that influence outcomes and cost effectiveness include:
- Number and type of support elements offered
- Support of the DBE and school structures (principal, school management teams, school governing bodies)
- Buy-in and commitment of teachers
- Inclusion of psychosocial support
- Functionality and resourcing of the schools involved
- Degree to which foundational gaps are covered
Overall comments on model
- The model requires multiple support elements to achieve holistic delivery, whereas bit-part solutions can be severely compromised through lack of integration and reinforcement
- With multiple support elements it is difficult to discern which elements are more or less essential and or effective
- It is a high intensity model therefore difficult to scale. Long-term funding is needed.
- Additional support elements fall outside of school budgets and require ongoing investment, making it difficult to exit whilst retaining the level of benefit achieved
- Challenges with declining maths enrolment
- On a review we did a principal made a point that these models rely on luck and widen the gap between the lucky and the not so lucky (haves and have nots)…his school compared to the school next door are in different worlds
School support overview
| | Epoch & Optima Maths Challenge Programme (MCP) | Capitec Whole School Approach | Anglo American Education Programme |
| Programme overview | Founded in 2007 Duration: 15 years (2007–2022) Goal: Increase the number of Black African learners achieving quality mathematics passes (≥60%) in Grade 12 School-led model: Schools directed funding to HR, teacher development, technology, and learner support. | Founded in 2013; holistic school transformation model : Leadership development for the principals and SMTs Professional development for in-service maths teachers Technology hubs including infrastructure, chrome books, and access to online programmes such as Siyavula, and bub facilitators to assist to teach maths in the tech hubs Learner wellbeing to assist life skills relevant to produce motivated and more competent learners and teachers. Training to pre-service teachers as well as experiential learning through Saturday maths tutorial sessions at eight of the 25 schools. | Launched in 2018; whole-school systemic model from ECD to Grade 12; infrastructure, teacher training, and digital tools; All schools connected to WiFi and equipped with digital learning tools |
| Reach | 121 schools over 15 years; ~40-60 schools/year. 85% of schools funded for 5+ years; 43 schools (36%) supported for 15 years | Three provinces, 34 schools | Four provinces, 193 schools, 190 ECD centres |
| Annual budget | ~R20-30 million/year | ~R25-35 million/year | R100+ million/year |
| Corporate supporters | Anglo American, Zenex Foundation, Tshikululu | Capitec Bank, Citizen Leader Lab, Principals Academy Trust, UCT GSB | Anglo American, DBE, JET, Kagiso Shanduka, Save the Children |
| Recruitment | Schools selected based on performance (targeted schools already achieving ≥20 quality maths passes among African learners for maximum impact) | Partner schools selected; focus on pure maths uptake | Host communities near mines; Grades R-12 |
| Results | MCP schools showed a steadily increasing rate of African learners participating in mathematics over mathematical literacy, contrary to a national trend Significant increase in quality maths passes (≥60%) among Black African learners Created a sustainable improvement culture in many schools Contributed to national gains in maths performance Produced evidence-based insights for CSI in education | Improved maths outcomes, increased pure maths uptake, stronger school leadership Principals felt programme had contributed to overall school goals, improved maths outcomes, and strengthened school leadership. Principals acknowledged the role of these initiatives in fostering innovative teaching, increasing class participation, and improving academic performance. | Maths pass rates improved from 47.5% (2019) to 67.5% (2024) 59% of schools showed improvement in Physical Sciences 80% of ECD centres now compliant and registered |
University support
University support includes interventions that assist universities with initial teacher education and that enable researchers to pilot and evaluate new models and approaches.
Factors that influence outcomes and cost effectiveness include:
– The extent to which the course for teachers:
- makes strong mathematical task demands on teachers relative to the targeted grade/phase levels
- models the expected mathematical practices
- is offered in intensive blocks over extended periods, preferably not after school
- are followed with in-class support
- involves some forms of assessing teachers, given the wide diversity of mathematics teacher backgrounds
– The number of grades involved (for optimal results, the whole grade chain needs attention)
– The number of teachers of the targeted grade/phase involved Level of functionality and resourcing of the schools involved
– Support from the education district/provincial levels
– Degree to which programmes were sustained after pilot (MECI supported teachers to establish professional learning communities)
(Information taken from Mathematics Education Chairs Initiative Learning Brief, 2018).
Overall comments on the model
- Increasing enrolments in the subject of Mathematics in grades 10 to 12 (FET Phase) remains a challenge (and even declined in some of the pilot schools)
- High-cost intensity during the formative phase, given set-up costs limited numbers
- Sustainable funding model once established
- Naturally integrated within the tertiary education sector
- Can be effective in providing additional education pipelines for specific skill sets
- More substantial learner gains in mathematics from teacher interventions take time to show
University support overview
| | FirstRand University Chair Programme (MECI) |
| Programme overview | Launched in 2010 – two five-year cycles (2010-2018) University-led initiative to improve maths teaching through research, pilot schools, and professional development Six academics were appointed to university chairs – four were in Mathematics Education with a focus on secondary schools and two were Numeracy Chairs focusing on primary schooling. The Chairs researched, developed and implemented a diversity of programmes or courses for practising teachers in different grades or phases in both primary and secondary mathematics Initiatives included: teacher professional development, tech integration, family engagement, and professional learning communities |
| Reach | Six chairs at four universities (Wits, UWC, NMU, Rhodes), each chair partnered with 10 schools so ~60 schools |
| Corporate supporters | FirstRand Foundation, Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, Rand Merchant Bank, NRF |
| Cost | FirstRand Foundation contributed R60 million in initial phase Additional funding from NRF and Anglo American Chairman’s Fund Total Programme Cost: Likely R100+ million over two cycles. |
| Structure | University-led research + school-based implementation + professional development courses |
| Results | Teachers who participated in the Chairs’ programmes enhanced both their own knowledge of mathematics and their mathematics knowledge for teaching. Learners taught by teachers who participated in the programmes, made mathematics learning gains in primary and secondary schools. Over 380 research publications and 140 postgraduate students produced Resources integrated into pre-service teacher education programmes National influence Some Chairs evolved into ongoing university-led projects under NRF funding |
| Challenges | Increasing enrolment in pure mathematics (vs. mathematical literacy) remains difficult Gains require whole-grade chain attention and strong school functionality Sustainability of programmes – through communities of practice, funding by NRF or university, and other methods (results?) |
Online support
Online support comprises technology-driven solutions that are either available directly to teachers or learners or are set up at schools with a hybrid approach.
Factors that influence outcomes and cost effectiveness include:
- Alignment to curriculum
- Positioning in terms of SAMR (substitution – technology direct substitute for paper/tool, augmentation – substitutes and adds functionality, modification – task redesign, redefinition – technology enables new tasks)
- Adequate access to devices and data
- Dosage – because of class and school sizes, impressive, well-equipped hubs in well-run schools have one or two hub sessions a week
- Point of intervention (primary/secondary)
Overall comments on the model
- Inherently a scalable solution once set up
- Increasing focus and interest in using cellphones and cellphone tech
- Potential to solve for learning backlogs through differentiated instruction
- Effectiveness could be amplified through the use of AI for instruction and learner feedback
- Misperception that this is a displacement solution to inadequate teaching standards
- Blended models (digital and in-person) outperform purely online approaches
- Essential but difficult to secure teacher buy-in and integration within the schooling system
- Requires sustained community engagement, tutor and teacher training and equipment maintenance
- Infrastructure and connectivity remain major barriers in rural areas
- Tech and hubs, etc., are not always the panacea in our context and might need to be seen within the context of improving the teachers’ skills
Specialist schools
Specialist schools are those established to focus on maths and science.
Factors that influence outcomes and cost effectiveness include:
- Infrastructure and technology used (classrooms, hubs, labs, tablets, phones, etc.)
- Teacher development and support offered
- Learner selection and support offered
- Curriculum and pedagogy
- Scale/size of school
Overall comments on the model
- Holistic solution, but costly
- Strong influence over the teaching and learning process, therefore full attribution of outcomes to the intervention
- Runs parallel but outside of government education, typically reliant on donor support (except for the Gauteng Schools of Specialisation)
- Scalability is limited by high relative costs
Specialist schools overview
| | LEAP Science and Maths Schools |
| Programme overview | Founded in 2004 Low-fee independent schools in underserved communities Full-time schooling with extended hours and holistic support |
| Reach | Four provinces, eight schools |
| Learners reached pa | ~1 650 |
| Teachers reached pa | ~160 |
| Annual budget | ~R45-55 million (est.) |
| Cost per learner | ~R25 000-R35 000 |
| Corporate supporters | Salesforce, Apex Group, Team4Tech, Teach With Africa, DBE |
| Learner recruitment | Community-based selection; underserved townships |
| Teacher recruitment | Full-time staff; many are former LEAP students |
| Structure | Full-time school day with extended hours; holistic support |
| Results | 92%+ matric pass rate 83% university access Strong alumni network |
