Drive set to produce maths literacy masters
A TOTAL of 200 000 South African pupils in 350 schools across the country are being given a chance to improve their mathematics literacy knowledge and win big through a nationwide campaign rolled out by detergent brand OMO.
OMO is a brand of Unilever, a British transnational consumer goods company headquartered in London, whose products include food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products.
This week, the company spoke of its role in the development of children’s minds.
“Encapsulated in the ethos of the Bright Future Vision for South Africa, Unilever is helping to create a brighter future for all South Africans,” said Ryan George, senior assistant brand manager for OMO.
George said the objective of the campaign was to promote child development through Fast Kids Maths, an interactive online learning platform for use on cellphones, tablet devices and desktop browsers. The app is designed to significantly enhance mathematics literacy skills.
“With the belief that every child deserves a brighter future, OMO will equip learners with the resources to prepare them for life, get them job-ready and income-generating,” said George.
The programme kicked off on February 13 and will run until April 10, and all schools across the country are urged to encourage pupils to participate.
Pupils and their parents can register on www.omofastkids.co.za, download the Fast Kids Maths App free of charge, and then start playing at their leisure.
As part of raising awareness on the opportunity to improve maths literacy, the OMO brand team will be visiting schools across the country to encourage them to sign up for the challenge and to demonstrate that maths can be fun and easy.
George said that while there was some indication that the performance of South African pupils was improving, the private sector had to continue to play an influential role in helping close the education gap and contribute towards radical transformation.
Pupils who participate in the Ready For Life Maths Challenge stand a chance to win one of 20 bursaries valued at R10 000 each and a trip to the OMO Ready for Life Academy.
“The programme for the academy will be packed with games and fun activities, all aimed at getting learners ‘Ready for Life’,” said George.
The platform was designed to cater for various levels of educational experience and mathematical aptitude, therefore it could only be used by pupils in grades 1 and 12.