PRETORIA – The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has funded a mathematics problem-solving course aimed at strengthening the skills of nearly 500 primary school teachers across South Africa.
The funding was formally handed over to the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) at the NRF-SAASTA offices in Pretoria on Tuesday, 1 September.
A total of 495 teachers have enrolled for SAMF’s online Mathematical Problem-Solving (MPS) Course, which runs from 20 August to 15 October 2026.
The course is presented by Dr Erna Lampen and Alwyn Olivier in collaboration with Limina Education Services.
Strengthening classroom problem-solving
The programme focuses on helping teachers tackle non-routine and Olympiad-style mathematics problems while giving them practical methods for introducing problem-solving activities in the classroom.
It also aims to improve teachers’ confidence in helping learners work through unfamiliar questions, develop mathematical reasoning and persevere when solutions are not immediately apparent.
SAMF executive director Prof Seithuti Moshokoa thanked the GEPF for supporting mathematics teacher development.
“When teachers become more confident problem-solvers, they are better equipped to help learners think, reason, and engage meaningfully with mathematics,” said Moshokoa.
The course is offered online and face-to-face. The online programme consists of six weekly units and uses a flipped-classroom approach.
The initiative could also encourage more teachers to enter learners for the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) and South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO), giving pupils opportunities to tackle challenging mathematics problems.
The GEPF funding is expected to strengthen teacher capacity while creating more opportunities for learners to develop mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.
