LimStep Through Covid & Beyond

Funda Afrika and Limpopo Education department are appreciative of the continued support of the Tirisano Construction Fund. The unqualified support has gone a long way and has transformed the lives of many disadvantaged learners and the education landscape in the districts and circuits within Limpopo department of education. The academic intervention, together with teaching and learning resources, as well as meals provided during contact sessions will always be appreciated by all the affected stake holders.

The programme has in the past three years (2020 to 2023) focused on 390 Mathematics and Physical Sciences learners in three districts in the Limpopo province, supporting six circuits. While this intervention had a direct impact to the official beneficiary base, schools that are not on the project but are within the project communities also benefited indirectly as they continued to receive the quality activities/resources used during the project lessons. The report will narrate the project activities delivered in the three years.

Beneficiary Base

The programme was designed to provide teaching and learning services to 390 learners, with the sole focus in Mathematics and Physical Sciences. The table below provides a summary of the beneficiary base.

Funda Afrika has established a good working relationship with the Department of Education during the implementation of the project and that has seen the project accommodating additional learners, who came in as a because of the professional request by the educational circuits. The report will only focus on the official 390 learners.

Successes

Learner Resources

Project learners have been supplied with the study material to support effective learning. Each learner was given the following: Mathematics Study Guide, Physical Science Study Guide, Stationary (2 Counter books, 2 Quire Notebook, A pencil) and a Casio Scientific Calculator. The Scientific calculator was only supplied in 2021, but all other resources were supplied on annual basis.

Career Guidance Day

Career guidance has been delivered in the three centres. The aim was to help the project and non-project learners, who are attending school at the host centres regarding different careers options offered at institutions of higher learning. The project was able to secure the services of Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein Campus. Dr Hlalele was able to deliver the career day activities in the three centres.

Project Results

Majority of the project learners have performed well in their end of the year matric examinations in 2022. The project would like to commend the commitment of the tutors and the hard work learners have put in preparing for these examinations. Funda Afrika was able to deliver two extra sessions in both Ditsepu and Lobethal centres. The sessions were titled “walking learners into the exam room”. This was a special request from the circuit management. The LimSTEP project obtained 95.2% pass. 255 learners obtained bachelor passes, which allows them to further their studies at universities and universities of Technology. 73 learners obtained diploma passes, which allows them to further their studies at universities of technologies. There are 46 learners, who obtained a higher certificate pass, 19 project learners did not achieve the pass requirements.

ECMSTEP

We’re pleased to announce that as a direct result of the successes experienced with LimStep, IDC Tirisano have extended their reach into the Eastern Cape province starting off a with a total of 150 learners broken down below. As Funda Afrika, we can’t wait to roll-up our sleeves and get our hands dirty in those regions. These areas for support are demarcated in the following ways:

Vuluhlanga – 3 Schools
Lingelethu – 3 Schools
Mzuvukile – 4 Schools

2024 Project Update

Brief Analysis for Term 4 Physical Science 2024

From the above table in term 4, 188 learners out of 197 have passed Physical Sciences quarterly assessment, which translate to 95% pass rate. 135 learners have performed at level 4 and above, which means that 55,8% of the learners have achieved 50% and above in Physical Sciences.

Comparing with school-based results 198 learners out of 199 have passed translating to 99% pass rate, also 135 learners performed at level 4 and above meaning 67,8% of them achieved 50% and above.

In conclusion, our internal assessments of 186 learners out of 198 have passed Mathematics and Physical Sciences quarterly assessment, which translate to 94% pass rate. 125 learners have performed at level 4 and above, which means that 60% of the learners have achieved an average of 50% and above.

The term 4 school-based results show that 198 learners out of 199 learners passed in both subjects with 99% pass percentage, 135 of these learners went to achieve 67,8% above 50% and above. The learners also managed to attain 16 level 7s.

Limpopo is highly commended on their commitment to quality passes.

Mathematics 2023 – 2024 Performance Trends

Observing the above in the LimSTEP project in term 4 in 2023, grade 10 and 2024, grade 11.

Mathematics has been performed well in both project and school-based results. In 2023 project average was 85,26% internally and 93,4% in the school-based results a difference of about 8.14%.

In 2024 our project average is 94,3%while the school-based results are 98% with a slight variation of 3,7%. Clearly there is a correlation between the project marks and schools’ marks. Although we thrive to do well in school.

Overall, the performances are at over 95% with a difference of just 4,6% in Mathematics at 93,4% and 98%in the two years.