Khota is “Building SA one session at a time! Pioneering the Mathematics Revolution,” he says. KWAY provides individual and group sessions Photo – Supplied
Johannesburg – Mathematics has been an invaluable tool to humans. Wonderful things have been created and it continues to have many hidden uses and applications. Although it is a major tool in everyday life, such as in managing money, cooking, and sports, to name a few, it is often a subject that many struggle with.
According to one mathematician, maths comes in peace, we need not fear it.
Fear causes us to look at things without clarity. It blinds us to the beauty of that which we are afraid of, causing us to fail in attempting to understand it. As such, it makes it harder for one to grasp the concept of it. Mohammed Khota, Mathematician, and founder of the KWAY Institute, explained that fear of mathematics “comes from the way it was taught… They [teachers] have put these blocks in front of them [learners],” and now Khota has made it his mission to “break away these barriers and fear and anxiety that they’ve built for themselves”.
Fear builds up as a student continues to obtain poor grades. The only way to break this fear is by believing in yourself and working towards what you want. Khota was not always an A student in maths. He was failing maths but he was motivated to change things around.
“When I was in Grade twelve, during the June exam, I had below 20% in mathematics. I was terribly afraid, but I knew I could do it. I was afraid of it. It just took somebody that I sat with during the holidays, and we sat and went through the entire system. I made shortcuts, I made hacks and at the end of the year, I finished a three-hour paper in one and a half hours. I got a distinction.”
Khota went from “not knowing anything in mathematics” to achieving it all, but this only came from consistent learning and understanding the concept. This method is his secret to destroying those brick walls and barriers that stop people from loving maths and excelling in it.
“You need to be shown how it is done and that’s what we do here at KWAY. We show the learners how it is done, increase their motivation, show them that they can do it on their own.”
When a learner approaches the institute, before assisting the child they do “a baseline assessment”. This means they start with what the student knows, working from what has previously been covered in the term and some basic questions from the previous year’s curriculum.
“Once we see them struggling with that, we know if it is just support, or intervention is needed.”
Through this method Khota and his team create a specialised package because every student is different, and their needs and weaknesses are different. Understanding mathematics is key to several other subjects. Conversations at home need to shift from social media and move to “intellectual conversations” about numbers. This will help kids to “absorb the numbers so much easier”.
Covid protocols do not dampen students’ enthusiasm to learn and grow Photo – Supplied
“It starts making sense to them. Accounting starts making sense to them, physics, chemistry, quadratic equations and number crunches, all start making sense to them, and this starts at home.”
Parents often find it difficult to help their children with mathematics as it may be difficult for them. KWAY has different methods to help parents.
“We can guide parents. We have products. We’ve got DVDs and USBs where parents can see the specific content matter for their child, for their specific grade. For CAPS curriculum.”
Their products cover The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) whether it be the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and Department of Basic Education (DBE). These are all covered by CAPS. Even if parents do not wish to purchase any products, Khota said he would still be happy “to guide parents onto the right path” and direct them to the best course of action.
Even though the year has begun, and the first term exams are complete, it should not stop parents from reaching out as it is never too late to get help. A learner can be helped before the June exams.
“They’ve got their first term results [grade 7 to 12]. They are all looking at their reports and everyone is now worried what’s going to happen for the rest of the year…. We need to get kick started with the program to see the impact of the intervention with the learner. It can be done… You are not alone. There are those who are getting help. Yes, you can do it… There is hope to get your learner to the top in a very short period of time.”
