Of the 1 228 510 learners who entered Grade 1 in 2012 only 20,5% sat for the final core mathematics exam in the 2024 National Senior Certificate, and fewer than 1% achieved a distinction.
This stark reality captures South Africa’s decades-long mathematics crisis.
“Visualise this,” said Greg Shapiro, founder of K2U Learning Systems. “If every learner who dropped out of core mathematics stood shoulder-to-shoulder the line would stretch from Cape Town to Johannesburg.”
The ripple effects reach tertiary level, where around 120 000 students compete for just 10 000 university places. The country’s true youth unemployment rate – closer to 45% than the often-quoted 31% – underscores the economic and human cost of this academic failure.
Yet Shapiro insisted the situation, though dire, can be fixed. “But the system needs to be rewired.”
His wife, two daughters and their highly committed team are actively involved in building the organisation.
Turning Knowledge into Understanding (K2U)
K2U Learning Systems specialises in accelerated, mnemonic-based learning for STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The organisation, led by Shapiro, who has dedicated more than 40 years to developing transformative educational systems, follows a back-to-basics, brick-by-brick approach to rebuilding mathematical understanding.
He explained that the cracks in the system appear early. In Grade 7 learners face a curriculum that, due to high content volume, fails to prepare them for the algebra-heavy demands of Grade 8 and 9.
Skilled maths teachers are often reserved for senior grades, leaving junior learners – where foundations are laid – in less experienced hands.
Language barriers often compound the problem. Most isiXhosa, isiZulu or Sesotho-speaking learners switch to English in Grade 4, making it harder to grasp abstract concepts. By Grade 10 many schools report that from four classes, much less than half a class remains in core mathematics.
Systemic challenges further weaken progress. According to Shapiro the Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) due to a Covid-recovery approach not only prioritises pace over comprehension, forcing teachers to rush through content without cementing fundamentals, but completely leaves out essential algebraic fundamentals needed at high school.
Oversized classes, under-resourced schools, inconsistent methodologies and limited upskilling opportunities further attribute to the extremely difficult conditions.
“Very few teachers, if any, can solidify these foundations under the current circumstances,” said Shapiro. “They’re pouring water into buckets with holes.”
Breaking the cycle of generational underachievement
Pamela Mudley, an education specialist with a corporate background, believes the “easy escape” of mathematical literacy and the complacency of parents deepen the problem.
“Parents carry the trauma of maths and pass it on,” she explained. “When they say their child ‘isn’t a maths person’ they seal that child’s fate.”
Mudley and Shapiro agree that solving the crisis requires a mindset shift – both from parents and learners – who often see mathematics only as a subject for future engineers or scientists.
Instead, they argue, mathematics should be recognised as a life skill that develops problem-solving and analytical abilities, critical thinking and confidence, qualities essential for any career.
The K2U Model: Rebuilding the foundation
At the heart of K2U’s methodology are five key fundamentals every learner must master:
Multiplication – Building computational fluency.
Fractions – Forming the foundation for higher mathematics.
BODMAS – Understanding number relationships.
Formula Manipulation – Cultivating algebraic reasoning.
Speed addition and number recognition – developing numerical agility.
Using 30-minute daily exercise booklets and three-month targeted interventions for Grades 7 and 8, K2U achieves rapid improvement. The programme’s accelerated foundational learning model can reportedly recover up to seven years of lost mathematical skill in just three to six months.
“We’ve seen Grade 1 learners move from struggling to count to confidently multiplying within weeks,” Shapiro noted.
Through its non-profit arm, The Bundi Foundation, K2U trains tutors and provides resources to rural and disadvantaged schools.
Results from recent interventions at Vulindlela Comprehensive Technical School show remarkable turnaround; learners once on the verge of failure now achieve distinctions in the K2U taught concepts after three-months remedial programmes.
Corporate collaboration: Investing in measurable change
K2U’s model invites businesses to be part of the solution. Companies can fund tutor training through capital investment or by donating goods for resale via the “Take a Little, Do a Lot” campaign.
“This initiative allows companies that may not have direct funding to still make an impact,” explained Lynette du Toit, K2U’s PR coordinator for community engagement. “Donated goods are sold, and all proceeds fund The Bundi Foundation’s tutor training programmes.”
For corporates this represents a CSI investment with measurable returns.
“Imagine investing in something where one can actually track the progress and see tangibly the benefits and effects of one’s CSI contributions,” Shapiro added.
Participating businesses receive reports tracking student progress, simultaneously contributing to job creation and community upliftment.
“Beyond philanthropy,” said Shapiro, “this is about building South Africa’s future workforce.”
A shared vision for 2030
K2U’s goal is ambitious yet practical: by 2030, The Bundi Foundation aims to train 1,000 tutors and reach 100,000 learners — each tutor supporting 100 students in their community.
Shapiro and his team are calling for collective action from parents, corporates, government, and communities to prevent further decline in mathematical competency and its economic fallout.
Shared responsibility
Every role matters. Parents must monitor progress, address maths anxiety, and encourage persistence. Teachers and tutors need support to identify and close foundational gaps. Corporates can invest in data-driven interventions that produce measurable change.
“Job creation through tutor training benefits corporates too,” Du Toit concludes. “These children will one day work for you.”
• K2U urges Grade 7 parents to make use of their free 30-minute Diagnostic Assessment and Consultation to evaluate whether their child is ready for Grade 8 mathematics.
For more information or to register as a potential tutor, visit www.stemk2u.com
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