fbpx

OLICO Maths EducationOLICO Maths Education

Making maths make sense.

News

By

Vacancy – Fundraising Coordinator

OLICO MATHS EDUCATION IS LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR TO DRIVE OUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY & CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH AND FUTURE PLANS OF THE ORGANISATION.

OLICO Maths Education is changing the way maths is taught and understood in South Africa. We do this by making sure that maths makes sense for learners on our programs. OLICO runs Maths Clubs for learners in Grades R-6 and a blended model of tutoring and technology for learners in Grades 7-12. We recognise that an effective solution to the SA Maths challenge must include wide cooperation and so we develop, share, and collaborate with a range of social partners including government, schools and NGOs.

OLICO recently won a number of awards including: the Mail & Guardian’s Investing in the Future of STEM Award and Eduweek’s ICT implementer of the Year. The position of Fundraising Coordinator is thus an exciting opportunity to build on the success and impact of the organisation to date and help us move to the next level. As such, the position also involves playing a leading role in the on-going growth plans and strategic direction of the organisation.

Responsibilities:

  • Drive OLICO’s Fundraising Strategy alongside senior staff at OLICO
  • Seek new funding opportunities by identifying and securing new donors
  • Manage existing donor relations and reporting
  • Build on OLICO’s initial individual donor campaign strategies
  • Play a lead role in the strategic direction and scaling plans of the organisation
  • Contribute to developing clear Monitoring & Evaluation strategies that measure depth of impact

Requirements:

  • Relevant postgraduate degree or experience in fundraising
  • Track record of fundraising success
  • Track record of successful donor management and report-writing
  • Clear understanding of monitoring and evaluation for impact
  • Excellent communication and writing skills (especially in English)
  • Creative, organised, pragmatic and efficient

Location:

OLICO has branches in Johannesburg & Cape Town and is open to discussion on where the successful candidate is based.

Please submit your CV PLUS a MOTIVATION letter (1-2pgs max) detailing your fundraising experience to date and why you believe you’d make a good fit with OLICO.

EXTENDED DEADLINE - Email: vacancies@olico.org by 3 May 2019.

By

OLICO’s Diepsloot Matrics beat the odds with an 82% Pure Maths Pass-rate

It is with great pride that OLICO announces our Diepsloot matrics achieved an 82% pass-rate for pure mathematics with two-thirds scoring in the Top 20% of maths performers nationally. Overall, OLICO learners achieved 55% Bachelor Level passes and 27% Diploma Level passes. 

The Diepsloot matric class of 2017 first joined OLICO in 2013 as Grade 8 learners seeking extra maths support. On first enrolment, these learners were approximately 3-4 years below their expected maths grade level (which coheres with Kotze and Spaull, 2015). In Grade 9, this group scored an average of just 24% on the 2014 Annual National Assessments (ANAs) for maths.

OLICO’s multi-year approach is to build core foundational skills and gradually deepen conceptual understanding over an extended period of time. OLICO’s matric class of 2017 dedicated significant proportions of their after-school lives, over many years, to improving their maths competencies.

OLICO’s Programme Coordinator, Andrew Barrett adds, “Given the realities of the schooling maths situation in South Africa, the time and support available during school hours is simply not sufficient to cover all that needs to be covered so OLICO’s after-school support and blended use of technology is one way in which we can supplement the work of the teacher.”

Ultimately, 82% of OLICO’s Diepsloot matric learners passed pure mathematics compared to only 19% of their Diepsloot peers.

Further to this, two-thirds of OLICO’s learners scored above 50% in pure mathematics which puts them into the top 20% of maths achievers across South Africa. 

This 2017 matric class in Diepsloot is part of a larger group of 155 learners between Grades 7-12 who receive extra maths support after-school 2-3 times a week. The improvements are the result of intensive work on number skills and supplementary curriculum support with OLICO’s freely available online maths tool and tailored tutoring support.

OLICO learner, Boledi Mampa believes OLICO made a huge difference to her maths results, “I joined OLICO 5 years ago and today I got my Bachelor Level matric certificate. It’s been great being part of OLICO as it’s helped me pursue my dream which is to study Environmental Science at the University of Johannesburg this year.”

Likewise, her classmates Lebogang Mafa and Mokgadi Morwasehla believe OLICO has helped them unlock their potential and achieve her goals. Says Lebogang,

My maths was poor when I first joined but by practicing with OLICO’s support, my results have really improved. I want to start a new life at university where I’m looking to pursue a BSC degree.

 

Intervening Early.

There is no quick-fix or simple solution to improving South African maths results but there are clear indications that intensive multi-year support in an after-school setting can achieve substantial improvements. At OLICO, we use a custom-built online maths programme (http://learn.olico.org) with our Grade 7-9 learners alongside skilled maths tutors to supplement learning. This online maths tool is published under a creative commons licence and contains over 22,000+ unique interactive maths questions and 330 tutorial videos specifically tailored for South African senior phase maths. The belief is that establishing firm foundations and good number sense is essential for future maths success.

The South African Education challenge

Some excellent articles on the maths situation in South Africa:

Nicky Roberts: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-01-08-school-maths-what-is-our-story/#.WHSakxt96Uk

Paul Berkowitz: http://mg.co.za/article/2017-01-06-the-difference-between-achievement-and-excellence-mathematics-results-for-the-nsc 

Nic Spaull: https://nicspaull.com/2018/01/05/explaining-the-matric-results-in-7-gifs/ 

Beyond Diepsloot

In addition to the 155 Grade 7-12 learners in Diepsloot,  OLICO is also working in 5 schools in the Western Cape on the Year Beyond programme and has over 5000 learners enrolled on the FREE online maths program for Grades 7-9 at http://learn.olico.org. OLICO is also working on a younger intervention through Maths Clubs in collaboration with the SA numeracy Chair Project at Rhodes University and the Maths Clubs Collective (www.mathsclubs.co.za).

With grateful thank to our supporters:

OLICO is deeply grateful to our donor partners who have helped make this happen. including: The Datatec Education and Technology Trust, The Learning Trust, Hatch, The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, The Claude Leon Foundation and the Nedbank Private Wealth Educational Foundation.

By

Help Fund Christine’s University Fees

Help us turn a GREAT story into an INCREDIBLE story.

In the past few weeks, Christine’s personal story has featured in a WEF article and on EWN. When she was in Grade 8, Christine joined OLICO with a maths mark of just 24%. With 5 years of support form OLICO and a lot of hard work and commitment from Christine, she matriculated last year in the top 20% of maths performers in the country. She’s now pursuing a BSC in BioChemistry at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

However, despite massive efforts and multiple appeals, she hasn’t been able to receive support from NSFAS to access the funding required to pay for her studies. Her mom is the sole-breadwinner after Christine’s dad passed away 11 years ago. Her family is assisting her with living expenses and OLICO is assisting with accommodation but we need help to pay her tuition fees of R35 000. Please consider making a donation. 

[one_half]Donate via Snapscan:

[/one_half][one_half_last]

Or Donate via EFT

Standard Bank
Account number: 000928852
Branch code: 002305
Branch: Carlton Centre
Ref: Fund Christine

All donations are tax deductible. Please email info@olico.org with proof of payment and we’ll write up a Section 18A receipt.[/one_half_last]

 

By

100% Matric Pass-rate. Top 20% Maths Nationally.

It is with great pride that OLICO announces a 100% matric pass-rate (83% Bachelor Level passes) with our learners achieving in the top 20% maths results nationally.

In 2012, OLICO began working with a group of Grade 8 learners in Diepsloot who have now graduated as members of our first-ever matric cohort of 2016. The matric class in Diepsloot is part of a larger group of 145 learners between Grades 7-12 who receive extra maths and literacy support twice a week. On first enrolment, our 2016 matric class had a mathematics average of just 18%. The latest matric results show that OLICO learners have dramatically increased their maths marks with 83% achieving marks of above 50% in pure mathematics which puts them into the top 20% maths achievers across South Africa. These improvements are the result of intensive work on foundational number skills and supplementary curriculum support with OLICO’s freely available online maths tool and tailored tutoring support.

2017-01-09-photo-00000008OLICO learner, Patience Moyo believes OLICO made a huge difference to her maths results, “When I first joined OLICO, my maths was poor but by practicing with OLICO’s support, my results have really improved. I want to start a new life at university and graduate as a psychologist to help people and be an example of what success is to my community.”

OLICO’s Maths Coordinator, Dr Lynn Bowie adds, “Over the past 5 years, these learners have worked tirelessly to improve their maths skills and deserve all the credit they’re now receiving. In short, their commitment and dedication has been outstanding and they are reaping the rewards. For many learners, the time and support available in school hours is simply not sufficient to cover all that needs to be covered so OLICO’s after-school support and blended use of technology is one way in which we can supplement the work of the teacher.”

Likewise, her classmates Roda Chitegha and Christine Ngwenya believe OLICO has helped them unlock their potential and achieve her goals. Says Roda, “Coming to OLICO in the afternoons since Grade 8 has helped to keep myself away from trouble and temptation that faces the youth of Diepsloot. OLICO has helped ensure my results at school are always good and I can go to university. I have registered for a BSC but this is not my only dream, I also want to see myself as a role model to others that matric success in maths is indeed possible.”

 

image1-lr
OLICO’s Thandiswa Nxelle (middle) with matric learners Christine Ngwenya and Roda Chitegha

No Short-cuts to improving Maths Results.

There is no short-cut, quick-fix or silver bullet to improving South African maths results but there are clear indications that intensive multi-year support in an after-school setting can achieve substantial improvements. At OLICO, we use a custom-built online maths programme (http://learn.olico.org) with our Grade 7-9 learners alongside skilled maths tutors to supplement learning. This online maths tool is published under a creative commons licence and contains over 20,000+ unique interactive maths questions and 330 tutorial videos specifically tailored for South African senior phase maths. The belief is that establishing firm foundations and good number sense is essential for future maths success.

The South African Maths challenge

Some excellent articles on the maths situation in South Africa:

Nicky Roberts: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-01-08-school-maths-what-is-our-story/#.WHSakxt96Uk

Paul Berkowitz: http://mg.co.za/article/2017-01-06-the-difference-between-achievement-and-excellence-mathematics-results-for-the-nsc 

Nic Spaull: https://nicspaull.com/2017/01/06/my-take-on-matric-2016/ 

Beyond Diepsloot

In addition to the 145 Grade 7-12 learners in Diepsloot,  OLICO is also working in 8 schools in the Western Cape on the Year Beyond programme and has over 2000 learners enrolled on the FREE online maths program for Grades 7-9 at http://learn.olico.org.

With grateful thank to our supporters:

OLICO is deeply grateful to our donor partners who have helped make this happen. including: The Datatec Education and Technology Trust, The Learning Trust, Hatch, The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, The Claude Leon Foundation and, most recently, the Nedbank Private Wealth Educational Foundation.

By

No to violence against women and children: #16daysofactivism

img-20161130-wa0002  OLICO Youth cares about more than only our learners’ academics. We ran a collaborative workshop with 50 learners in Diepsloot about preventing gender-based violence. The workshop was help on 30 November 2016 and with sessions by OLICO Youth, Sonke Gender Justice, and Section 27 team members. Funded by the Foundation of Human Rights, this interactive learning experience formed part of the international campaign of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.

It was a sweltering day, even under the shelter of the tent,  but learners engaged enthusiastically and critically with issues of gender equality and violence prevention. We explored the relationship between gender roles and sexual violence, looking at the invisible messages all around which tell us how men and women should behave and which normalise gender based violence. Many of our learners reflected that although these messages can be powerful, we don’t have to adhere to gender roles which encourage aggression in men and subservience in women.

wp_20161130_12_32_38_proTina from Section 27 and Nthabi from Sonke Gender Justice then led a workshop on sexual violence and what processes to take if you have been abused sexually. Finally, the workshop ended after brainstorming ideas on how to prevent gender-based violence at the individual and collective level. The learners suggested ideas such as rejecting harmful gender roles, and coming together as a collective to protest against gender based violence.

OLICO Youth is proud of our learners that represented us at the event. We are also grateful to have been given this opportunity to co-host a workshop on such an important issue especially in a community so heavily affected by sexual violence.

img_4195