Mathematics tutor, Darren Smith, says he is encouraged by the improvement he has seen in students who have benefited from the mathematics and physical sciences extra lessons he currently offers in rural high schools under his company, Good Grades.
Good Grades is currently contracted by the Eastern Cape Department of Education to offer extra lessons to schools in the OR Tambo Inland district that were underperforming in mathematics and physical sciences.
Darren, a Walter Sisulu University B.Com Accounting graduate, started offering the extra lessons in 2016 while in university, after realising that there was a need for such a service, which culminated in him registering his company in 2018.
“The Education Department initially contracted my company to offer these extra lessons for free, so that we could prove ourselves.
“The schools we were assisting all improved in their results after we assisted them and the department subsequently contracted us to offer these extra classes to several schools that were underperforming to improve their results,” Smith said.
“For example, at Dumrana Senior Secondary School, before we worked with them, their mathematics performance was below 40%, but we immediately improved their results to 89% in the first year working with them,” he added.
Other high schools benefiting from the Good Grades contract with the Education Department included Zangqele SSS, Ngwayibanjwa SSS, Jumba SSS and Khulanathi SSS.
Good Grades has also partnered with the Impendulo Foundation, which is funded by the BankSETA, to improve mathematics performance in disadvantaged schools.
Smith’s company currently has 24 tutors under its employ and further trains a pool of unemployed graduates and final year university students interested in tutoring.
“I am passionate about assisting students and I want to see students from rural and disadvantaged schools receiving the same quality teaching and learning as their peers in advantaged schools,” Smith said.
He said he was working towards establishing a schooling centre in Mthatha, a facility where students would not only get extra tutorial lessons, but also receive assistance with applying to tertiary institutions and securing funding for their tertiary education, among other things.
