Dear Minister Nzimande,

Instead of requiring Maths teachers to complete an undergraduate degree before undertaking their PGCE studies. Students with exceptional Matric results in Mathematics should be invited to complete their PGCE Mathematics immediately.

I studied PGCE English this year and had a colleague who studied PGCE Mathematics.

She studied actuarial science for two years before studying accounting and then did her PGCE Maths. This meant she studied many additional years of undergraduate study at the government's expense (fully funded) before qualifying as a Maths teacher this year.

Her studies at UCT cost the government over R500,000 when she could have been qualified as a Maths teacher for as little as R15,000 through UNISA.

This process took six years instead of one.

I think the Minister will find this a compelling proposal. It will help our country graduate more Mathematics teachers, more quickly, for less money.

Kindest regards,
Nicholas Shubitz