For a nation that’s despondent about the notoriously poor state of mathematics and science education in South Africa, what a pleasure it is to hear some positive news about this topic for a change.

While taking care not to imply that the problem can be solved overnight, Dr Moneoang Leshota, newly appointed Director of the University of Pretoria (UP) Pre-University Academy (PUA) – a Saturday school for Grades 8 to 12 learners – has observed some results that are cause for cautious optimism.

“In their first year with us, one of our learners who received 30% for mathematics and science in the PUA admission tests, wrote the mid-term exams – his results placed him in the top 10,” she says.

Wondering if this might have been a marking error, Dr Leshota checked the learner’s script. The mark was correct, and at the end of 2024, this learner was in the top 5%, with 87% for mathematics.

“He has decided he wants to be a mathematics teacher and has been admitted to UP’s Faculty of Education for 2025.”

What makes this particular learner’s story all the more remarkable is that he was from a quintile 1 school, which serves the poorest 20% of learners. “If we were able to unlock this learner’s potential, can we do it with others from quintile 1 to 3 schools?” Dr Leshota asks.

She is convinced that the PUA, with its innovative approach to teaching mathematics, technology, engineering and science (STEM) subjects, could make a meaningful contribution to this.

The crux of this approach is to teach in a way that leaves the learner with a deep understanding of the fundamental concepts of these subjects.

“Some learners leave school with distinctions, but fail mathematics and science when they come to university because they have been focused on exams and do not have a deep understanding of the concepts,” Dr Leshota says. “But when learners understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’, everything falls into place.”

Deep conceptual understanding is best facilitated by educators who understand not just the content of what they’re teaching but also the pedagogy – the how and the why.

“This is why we try to recruit teaching staff with a master’s in mathematics education or mathematics or, at the very least, an honours degree” says Dr Leshota, herself a mathematics education specialist with a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), an MSc in Mathematical Education from the University of Reading in the UK, and a BSc in Mathematics and Chemistry from the University of Lesotho.

After lecturing at Wits University and the University of Lesotho for the best part of two decades, Dr Leshota joined UP in 2020 as a senior researcher on Mamelodi campus, where she later acted as Director. When the PUA was established in 2022, she was appointed manager and senior researcher at its Unit for Access, Success and Students in Transition.

From there, Dr Leshota served as Acting Director of the academy from April 2024, and on 1 November, was appointed Director for a three-year term until 31 December 2027.

It’s a role that comes with some intriguing challenges, one of which is that prospective learners and their parents are often unfamiliar with the academy’s focus on deep conceptual understanding rather than revision.

“Many come wanting to redo their schoolwork,” Dr Leshota says. “We tell them that we definitely don’t just revise examinations, and that our niche is conceptual teaching. Some are dissatisfied with that.”

A second challenge is that the academy is expected to target the most disadvantaged learners, meaning those from quintile 1 to 3 schools. However, eligible learners who meet the admission requirements can be hard to find – and fund.

The cost per learner amounts to about R10 000 a year, which is out of reach for many learners, particularly those from low-quintile schools. These learners are sponsored, currently by the Kresge Foundation, a private philanthropic organisation headquartered in Michigan in the US, which has committed to fund disadvantaged learners at the academy until 2027.

Fundraising is one of Dr Leshota’s major priorities, since UP pays the salaries of staff at the academy but does not cover operational costs.

“Fundraising is not easy; luckily, we have access to UP’s fundraising tools and are working with the Department of Institutional Advancement to finalise proposals.”

Other priorities are curriculum development and quality assurance at the academy, which includes keeping up with what is happening in the classroom.

“Last Saturday, I attended Grade 11 and 12 classes on Groenkloof campus, and next Saturday, I will attend Grade 9 and 10 classes in Mamelodi,” Dr Leshota says.

She also supervises students who are doing their master’s or doctorates in mathematics education, and continues with her own research, with her latest grant funding from the Academy of Science in collaboration with the German Research Council.

Her main research interest is, of course, what can be done to improve mathematics and science teaching at schools in general and the academy in particular: what is missing; what isn’t working; and what is working.

The answers could make all the difference to the future of learners grappling to master mathematics and science, and to a country urgently in need of this expertise.