Episode 49 Maths Lit It Up

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This episode of Level Up - Maths Lit It Up (Episode 49 aired on August 16, 2026) explores two significant educational and digital topics that sparked internet debate this week.

 

Promotional poster for Level Up on Radio Islam International which says This Week We Maths Lit It Up

 

1. Instagram's New Word Mark

  • The Change: Instagram updated its text logo on August 13, 2026, moving away from a decade-old script design to a cleaner, more modern look that blends cursive and print (3:16-4:05).
  • The Debate: The hosts discuss a theory that the shift might be related to Gen Z's declining ability to read and write in traditional cursive (7:41-9:30). They highlight that many educational systems, including those in the US and parts of South Africa, have moved away from mandatory cursive instruction (9:05-13:00).

2. The Math Literacy Debate in South Africa

  • Context: The hosts clarify the history of the South African grading system, distinguishing between the pre-2008 Higher Grade/Standard Grade system and the current Pure Mathematics vs. Mathematical Literacy track (17:17-20:36).
  • The Problem: Former Education Minister Naledi Pandor and other experts argue that Mathematical Literacy incentivizes students to abandon Pure Mathematics, ultimately creating a barrier to entry for STEM degrees (22:08-25:35).
  • Real-World Impact: The hosts share a personal anecdote about a struggle to get a store manager to accurately calculate a simple percentage discount, arguing that this reflects a broader, concerning decline in numeracy skills caused by relying on "easier" curriculum options (33:38-37:18).
  • Conclusion: The hosts emphasize that education is a powerful societal equalizer and argue that students should be supported in pursuing Pure Mathematics rather than opting for the bare minimum (41:51-42:15).

Listen to Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548

Episode 49: Maths Lit It Up

Sunday 16 August 2026 / 3rd Rabi al-Awwal 1448AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)






 

Watch Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548

Episode 49: Maths Lit It Up

Sunday 16 August 2026 / 3rd Rabi al-Awwal 1448AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)

 

Read the Transcript for Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548

Episode 49: Maths Lit It Up

Sunday 16 August 2026 / 3rd Rabi al-Awwal 1448AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)



0:08
To dear listeners, it's just past 200 p.m. right here in South Africa and it's
0:14
our favorite day of the week, yad. It's [snorts] the third day of Rabiel A
0:22
1448 ah. Alhamdulillah. and it corresponds to Sunday the 16th of August
0:29
2026. I am Ziad Plachies and with me are my co-hosts Nabiha and Issa Plachis.
0:36
Welcome to Level Up where we listen, learn and grow inshallah with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's guidance and we
0:43
break down the week's news and talk about what really matters to young Muslims today. Our WhatsApp line is
0:50
open. The number is 072-7861548. You can call in on 0185472
1:00
or DM us on i love.com. That's Lov
1:07
Zoom M. We on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tik Tok threads as
1:14
well as upcrolled. So, alhamdulillah, we have reached a new
1:20
month. It's Rabiel A. Oh Allah, let this month be filled with baraka, I iman,
1:26
safety, and Islam. And let us be blessed with the ability to do that which makes you happy and which you are pleased
1:33
with. Amen. This week we're going to do a bit of a dive into education. Two things happened
1:41
this week which has caused debate on the internet. One which might seem
1:46
superficial but we will dive deeper into it is the logo or word mark change of
1:52
Instagram and the other was the scrapping of maths literacy
1:58
hasn't been scrapped but there have been talks about it being scrapped just uh to
2:04
clarify that because there has been a lot of confusion on the internet about it as well. Uh but we're going to look
2:10
at that maybe um I think let's start with the Instagram logo word mark and
2:16
inshallah after the break we can get into the maths literacy debacle.
2:22
So if you updated your Instagram on Thursday the 13th of August or any time until now you would have noticed that
2:29
the logo which appears at the top of the home screen which has been there since
2:34
2016 has now changed. So, has anybody seen it? Um, let us know. If you haven't
2:42
updated Instagram, uh, maybe try doing it now. Then what we about to discuss
2:48
will be a bit clearer, I think. Um, I don't think it's something that people actually look at uh, on a daily basis or
2:56
even notice. Some people might notice that it has changed. Uh, but if you have noticed, let us know what you think um,
3:04
about it. Do you like it? Don't you like it? Does it not make a difference in your life? But let's look at the facts.
3:11
Yes. So, let's look at the facts. Instagram updated its text logo word
3:21
mark this week because the previous design
3:26
was nearly a decade old and the company wanted a cleaner and more modern look.
3:36
Instagram head Adam Moseri
3:42
shared the new design on 13th of August
3:48
2026. So why it changed the text spelling out Instagram at the
3:56
top of the app feed now blends cursive and print lettering with smoother
4:05
curves. [clears throat] So what stayed the same if you asking?
4:13
So, the colorful pink and orange camera app icon on your phone's home screen did
4:22
not change. So, why did Instagram or rather Meta do
4:30
this? So, they wanted a fresh look.
4:36
The older script logo had been in use since 2016
4:42
and felt dated to the design team. They also wanted to blend styles meta.
4:51
Instagram's parent company wanted a forwardlooking
4:57
evol evolution that combines
5:03
classic cursive traits with sharper modern print styles. [snorts]
5:10
So, what was the public's reaction? So, users online had mixed responses. While
5:16
some like the modern update, others joke that the new letter R made the logo look
5:22
like it read Instag Zam.
5:27
Yes. Um, I actually also made that joke because it looked like a zed and not
5:34
like a R because I usually write an art like like a straight and then that uh
5:43
curve at the top like a bowl or something. Okay. So, could you read the old
5:49
Instagram logo? Uh, yeah. It was a bit bold. I remember it was Wasn't it like a bit bold or
5:56
something? It was more cursive. Yeah. So, but you could read it.
6:01
Yeah. Better than this one. Yeah. Oh, okay. I think it's just because you
6:07
were used to it. Um, so maybe that's why and I think people have well basically
6:14
grown up with that uh word mark of Instagram being like that. So even
6:19
though they not used to, which we're going to get into now, cursive, [snorts] um they, you know, like basically
6:29
knew what it was. It's like a b like a logo. Like if you see a logo on a car or
6:34
a phone or something, you're going to know that that's what it's what it is, even if you can't read it, isn't it?
6:41
Yeah. [snorts] Yeah. So anyway, um, one user said, "I mean, we're still waiting for
6:46
chronological orders and for Instagram to get rid of those weird little pesky sex bots, but font change will have to
6:53
do it for now." And I think that's so true. There's a lot that Instagram still needs to do.
7:00
Um, the news feed is, you know, something that that needs to
7:07
be sorted out, showing us a whole lot of stuff from people that we don't even follow. and um even the posts don't even
7:15
get shown to your followers unless you are boosting posts. Uh so there's a lot
7:20
of things and then of course like they said um those Instagram accounts that uh
7:26
we don't want to see come up on explore or in the feed or whatever it is and you
7:33
try and get rid of them but then 2 days later they're back there. Um, so among the news and mixed responses that
7:40
somehow shook the internet, there's a little theory brewing beneath the surface and it's rooted in Gen Z's
7:46
reading and writing abilities when it comes to cursive.
7:51
So the um, someone said the youth can't read cursive, so I approve of the slide dig. Um, another person said, "Is this
7:59
because cursive writing is now a lost recipe?" He said, "What are your thoughts about cursive writing?"
8:07
Um well obviously I
8:13
can read certain cursive things cuz
8:19
there's like the curse of I looks like a G
8:24
almost like a G kind of thing and then [snorts] um so then
8:31
Yeah. So so you understand it a bit a bit. Yeah. Can you write it?
8:36
Um, sort of, but there's lots of uh what
8:42
they call it like ocean curves and all those. [laughter and gasps] Okay. Okay. We won't get into a whole um
8:49
how to write cursors. Um but so um in
8:55
fact this theory hasn't exactly been birthed out of thin air after various studies into reading and writing
9:00
abilities across generations have cropped up over the years. Up until
9:05
2010, cursive writing was mandatory in many US schools before it was officially
9:11
removed from the required Common Core standards for K12 education. In 2022,
9:18
the Atlantic delved into it, further claiming in the future, cursive will have to be taught to scholars the way
9:24
Elizabethan secretary hand or paleography is today.
9:30
The conversation then poured over onto platforms like Reddit where people share their own experiences of learning or not
9:38
learning cursive at school. I can't read cursive, especially not oldtimey
9:43
genealogology cursive. I just asked someone else to help me. I don't see cursive in everyday life, nor do I see
9:50
anyone using it. My parents are both boomers and write in block print, for example.
9:56
One user wrote, I think uh boomers did love to write in block print for some
10:03
reason. I think it was because they were taught that. But we um
10:09
for some reason as millennials uh grew up learning a lot of cursive
10:16
and um you know we we carried on with it and you know like you would uh do your
10:23
signature in cursive as well and um yeah now it's been a bit watered down so
10:31
those that did do cursive have like this Instagram logo a mix of uh block print
10:37
and cursive or you have almost like block print but like it's like almost
10:45
itallic. Um it has a little bit of a curve at the end. So another user said, "I'm Gen X and
10:52
while I learned cursive, I still can't read most older documents written in a style of cursive that's foreign to me.
10:58
[snorts] Lamina lamenting the evolution of education is like whining that kids aren't taught to steer a carriage or
11:05
weave a wool anymore. Uh I don't know so much about that. Another user said, "I'm a millennial and
11:11
was never taught cursive, just the curvy print letters that are supposed to make cursive easier than string up block
11:18
print. It has created its challenges as an adult, though thankfully I figured out a signature myself with some kids
11:25
cursive books and picked up enough to read bits of clear cursive.
11:31
And it's not just uh Reddit users who have been debating the subject. Teens React also did a light-hearted video
11:37
asking Gen Z to read and write in cursive. Since it is no longer required
11:43
learning in all 50 states, it has become less and less important.
11:49
In South Africa, however, cursive is still taught in some primary schools. So, instruction depends heavily on
11:56
individual school policies rather than a strict nationwide mandate. So, Issa, you did learn cursive. Uh yes, I learned in
12:06
grade not grade one but like normal lettering grade one, grade two and grade
12:12
three I learned a bit of cursive there. Yeah. So they said the schools that teach cursive typically introduce a
12:18
slanted handwriting style in grade two or three building on the basic print letters learned in grade one. Okay. So
12:25
you did pass grade one, grade two, and grade three then if that's that's what you say. Um, so educational platforms
12:33
like the WCED e portal, the Western Cape Education Department still provide official
12:39
cursive practice booklets and teaching aids for education for educators. Sorry.
12:46
Discussions on platforms like Reddit show that experiences diff widely. Some
12:51
traditional primary schools strictly enforce cursive up to grade six while others play with play very little
12:58
emphasis on it. So you haven't since grade three you haven't really done cursive.
13:03
Um no I've just been writing normal
13:10
after that block writing. Okay. Many educators and experts consider cursive an araake skill
13:17
because modern communication relies heavily on typing computers and printed text. I think this is true um especially
13:26
with educators um you know as a concessions facilitator with us at After
13:32
Fighter Grind Academy um as a scribe in fact we have told we've been told not to
13:39
scribe in cursive um the rule came because they say the
13:45
students don't understand cursive because obviously they need to read to see if their answers are correct but At
13:53
the same time, I think there's a lot of educators who cannot read cursive. So,
13:59
um that's the main problem because you know they the educators need to obviously mark the paper and they can't
14:05
read what has been written. So even you know in the the scribing world it's been
14:11
taken away and I think uh as a scribe it's much easier to write in cursive
14:18
because you know it's quicker all the words are joined together and um you
14:25
know it's it's sad that it's come to a point where it's no longer used. Um but
14:31
what do you think? What do what do you think is it something that shouldn't be used that should should still be used?
14:40
Um I think that it should be still used
14:46
because uh for me I can read both. So
14:54
whether it's normal writing or so you so you don't mind. It's not that
15:00
you still want it to be used. is that you don't mind whether it is used because you've grown up knowing about
15:07
it. But I think the struggle is that a lot of uh kids today haven't grown up
15:13
learning cursive or learning how to read it. And that's the problem. And I think that's the theory behind why Instagrams
15:21
changed their logo. We don't know. It's just a theory. But uh we'd like to hear from our listeners. Um do you think
15:27
cursive should still be taught in schools? If you would like to join the conversation, our sublime is 072-7861548
15:37
or you can call in on 0185472 or you can even DM us on.com on social
15:45
media. That's iOS
15:56
inshallah. tutoring, mentoring, homeschool assistance, concessions, facilitation,
16:03
and more. Visit After Grant Academy, the dawn of
16:09
excellence
16:14
and welcome back to Level Up. If you just tuned in, we've been talking about
16:20
Instagram or Insta Zams new word mark
16:27
and how curse of writing has declined over the years. If you missed it, be
16:33
sure to check out the Radio Islam International SoundCloud during the week for the podcast as well as our
16:39
website.com for the video podcast. But right now we'll be discussing the
16:46
scrapping of math literacy in South African schools. If you would like to
16:52
join the conversation, our sublime is open. The number is 0727861548
16:59
or you can call in on 0185472 or you can even DM us on.com.
17:08
That's v e z a c o m. Okay. I think before we get into the
17:15
discussion, [clears throat] I think um we need to take a little step back. Uh
17:20
so when we were in school, there was standard grade and higher grade
17:27
mathematics, right? If if you remember um that then we had I think functional
17:35
grade was like a much lower grade and then we had um ad maths which was
17:43
additional mathematics if I'm not mistaken or advanced additional mathematics. So you had a standard grade
17:49
and higher grade which most people did. If you wanted to um do something
17:54
further, then you would do uh ADM maths. And then if you couldn't manage higher
18:00
grade or standard grade, then you would do something that was called functional grade. But that was up until I think
18:07
2008, if I'm not mistaken. [snorts] Um then they introduced
18:14
uh two things called pure mats and mats lit. So they got rid of higher grade and
18:20
standard grade. So higher grade and standard grade represent represented the old South African high school grading
18:26
system. Um whereas pure maths and maths are the two modern separate subject pathways used in schools today. Okay. So
18:34
let's take a look. The old system higher grade versus standard grade was pre208.
18:40
So before 2008, South African learners took the same core mathematics subject
18:45
but chose the level of diffic difficulty at which they wanted to be examined. So
18:52
higher grade maths is a much harder advanced level of mathematics. Passing this was traditionally required to gain
18:59
direct entrance into university science and engineering degree programs.
19:06
Standard grade maths or SGMAT. So high grade was HG and standard grade was SG.
19:11
You would have seen it on your national certificate. At the end of uh metric or grade 12 or standard 10 as it was then
19:18
[snorts] is a less demanding version of the same syllabus. It gave learners a full school
19:25
leaving pass but often excluded them from entering technical or scientific
19:30
university pathways. So this is very important. Higher grade and standard
19:35
grade maths is not the same as pure maths and maths literacy of today. Um
19:42
higher grade and standard grade maths was the same subject. It was just that
19:47
standard grade was a little bit say easier or higher grade was a little bit
19:53
harder. But it was the same syllabus. Everything that was there was taught the
19:59
same. there was just a few things that were either added or subtracted depending on on which way you you look
20:06
at it. I said added or subtracted because we're talking about maths. Um so
20:13
the modern system pure maths versus maths lit or maths literacy is post
20:19
2008. So today the education system replaced grade splits with two
20:25
completely different subjects starting in grade 10. So standard grade higher
20:31
grade same thing just the level was different.
20:36
Now maths lit and pure maths are two totally separate subjects.
20:42
in pure mathematics or cure core maths a highly abstract and theoretical subject
20:48
covering algebra trigonometry functions and calculus. It trains the brain in
20:53
critical analytical problem solving and a strict requirement for STEM fields
20:58
your science technology engineering and mathematics medicine accounting and IT
21:04
at universities. I feel like Issa wants to say something. Um,
21:10
no. It's just that I knew what STEM stands for. Okay.
21:15
Cuz it [laughter] stands for science, technology, engineering. Okay. So, you're going to take pure, you'll have to take pure mathematics if
21:22
you want to look at it a career in STEM. [snorts] Okay. And then mathematical
21:28
literacy or maths lit is a practical subject focused on realworld applications. It teaches everyday
21:34
financial skills like personal budgeting, calculating interest, understanding taxes and reading utility
21:42
bills. It does not provide entry into science, engineering or medical
21:47
university degrees. Okay. So that is the basis of it. Um if
21:55
you understand that that then everything else is going to be much clearer about what we're going to be discussing today.
22:01
So maths lit pure maths two different subjects higher grade standard grade
22:06
were the same subject. So former minister of education Ni Pando said she opposed the creation of mathematical
22:13
literacy because it incentivizes students to abandon pure mathematics.
22:20
She shared her views on South Africa's education system and mathematics literacy during an interview with the
22:25
African Renaissance podcast. Pandoor is a prominent South African ANC
22:30
politician who served as South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
22:36
from 2019 to 2024. She has held high ranking cabinet portfolios over a 30-year parliamentary
22:44
career including Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Training. She also serves as the
22:50
chancellor of Nelson Mandela University and is the chair of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
22:56
Pando is therefore an influential VO voice in the South African education
23:01
sector and in the African National Congress. She said that during her tenure as education minister the quality
23:07
of the examination papers was excellent. That means those who passed metric were
23:13
topnotch. Okay, not uh tooting our own horn but
23:18
that was when we we were um in in metric. [snorts]
23:23
uh this is what we should aim to achieve. However, it makes little sense to have a large number of students
23:29
failing so we should have explored other options. She said
23:35
despite the need to raise the pass rate, Pando did not like or support mathematical literacy because she foraw
23:42
it would be a disaster. Nevertheless, I allowed departmental
23:47
officials to persuade me what I suspected would happen did occur. She said, she explained that a large number
23:54
of students opted out of pure mathematics in favor of mathematical literacy.
24:00
This has significantly reduced our overall numbers in core mathematics over time. We have begun to recover, she
24:06
said. Pando believes that this is an issue we must address. There are some
24:12
students who may not pursue pure mathematics, she said. However, they could pass a mathematics A or
24:18
mathematics B option. Whatever you might call it, we need to rethink our approach. So, basically, she's saying
24:24
that um we could introduce, you know, the higher grade standard grade options.
24:30
Again, mathematical literacy is important, but not as a primary track. It should be something where all
24:37
children gain basic numerical competence such as calculating change.
24:43
Pando's view aligns with that of Dr. Mameti Peng [snorts]
24:48
former professor of mathematics education who said that it should be done away with in schools.
24:56
Ping said that the mathematical literacy was well-intentioned but is not serving the purpose for which it was designed.
25:02
South Africa previously had higher grade and standard grade mathematics. This distinction has fallen away. Under the
25:09
new system, there are mathematics core and mathematical literacy. Students have to pick between the two. She said weaker
25:16
students used to move from higher grade to standard grade mathematics. They are now pushed to much easier mathematical
25:24
literacy. I think mathematical literacy should be done away with, she said, adding that it does not help students to
25:30
enter courses in university. Even if you if you achieve a distinction in maths
25:37
lit students do not get any points for that in university scoring system. She
25:42
explained she explained that schools incentivize learners to move from mathematics to mathematical literacy
25:48
because it increases the school's average performance. The school's average looks good but the
25:55
department of basic education does not look at why the performance is good. She said even when they count the number of
26:03
distinctions for a school, they do not exclude mathematical literacy. She argued that if mathematical literacy had
26:11
never been introduced, it would not have created a problem of learners moving away from mathematics. Instead of moving
26:18
children away from mathematics when they struggle with it, schools should encourage them to spend more time on the
26:24
subject to improve. She advocated for changing the incentive structures for schools to reward them for achieving
26:31
good mathematics results. So I think the most important thing is
26:37
that um you know we've moved away from the standard grade and higher grade
26:44
which was the same syllabus to now um
26:49
pure maths or core maths and maths literacy. And there's been a drive like
26:57
uh she said uh well that's been said to move over more to math literacy and one
27:05
of the problems is they're saying that there's not enough resources for maths
27:10
literacy meaning there's not enough educators to teach maths literacy. So it's easier for the schools to go onto
27:18
maths literacy [snorts] um than to keep pure maths. So they they actually trying instead of trying to
27:24
scrap maths literacy, they're trying to scrap pure maths which is going to create a big problem which Dr. Nali
27:30
Pando said and it has which we'll get into. There's a a real world example
27:36
that we've experienced this week. Um but also
27:41
um the fact that uh you know that we have this uh uh maths literacy where
27:49
they're using the distinctions at the schools. So, it's a easier subject, but
27:54
because you know it's easier, there's people that are don't want to do pure maths, they [snorts] do math literacy,
28:01
they get a distinction, and then the school is boasting that they've got a good average. Um, whereas the, you know,
28:10
math literacy is actually not, it's not really a math subject in essence. That's
28:17
that's basically what the ed I'm not a educator. I'm just talking from a
28:23
tutoring experience, right? And I've looked at grade 12 and as a scribe as concessions facilitator, I've seen um
28:31
grade 12 maths literacy papers, right? I've scribed for them. I've tutored uh uh
28:37
students on them at the afterbach grind academy and we have seen that I
28:45
personally think that the level of it is maybe let's I'm not even like joking maybe
28:52
grade seven like that's like the level of um grade 12 maths literacy right as I
29:00
said I'm not an educator don't take my word for it um it's two totally different subjects
29:06
pure maths and and maths literacy. But I think the problem lies and I've seen
29:12
this a lot is that because there is this easier option, kids are always looking
29:20
for an easier way out. That's true. So now, not only are they choosing the
29:26
easier option, they just barely passing the easier option.
29:32
I've seen kids barely passing, kids failing, and that's a real problem
29:39
because we're creating this society and we've creating the future of our leaders
29:48
in in the society in South Africa because math literacy is not it's not um
29:54
recognized anywhere else in the world. Nobody else has the subject. Right. Okay. But what would you say for people
30:01
who um probably genuinely don't do well in maths? I I'm I'm I'm I'm just saying
30:08
you know like not basic maths that you should need in the real world like as a say cashier [laughter]
30:15
which will be our story coming up but you know like
30:20
who genuinely can't go beyond you know calculations I mean can do calculations but can't do
30:27
any more than that in terms of maths what would you say you know this was actually giving them that opportunity to
30:33
say that they have done maths But you see this is when when we started the conversation I said when we were at
30:41
school we had higher grade we had standard grade and if you couldn't manage those two you had functional
30:46
grade right which was like basic basic right
30:52
um which was also probably like a primary school level maths when when you
30:58
were in grade 12. So things that you would need when you're out there in the world, but not like completely um
31:03
important things like you know fractions and [laughter] um yeah. Well, you see the thing is geometric.
31:09
They're saying that pure maths is basically um it's it's too high a grade. You only
31:16
need it if you if you need to get into university to you know like do STEM subjects like uh STEM careers like we
31:24
said or medicine or you know like it's too high a grade. So maths literacy was
31:29
the perfect option. But Dr. Nady Panda is saying why can't there still be like
31:35
a maths A and a maths B. So have the pure maths right and have like a higher grade and a
31:42
standard grade level. It doesn't have to be two extremes
31:47
because there is there's no in between the maths lit and the pure maths.
31:54
Mhm. And I think that's that's what's needed because like you're saying, you might not be good at pure maths, but I I
32:02
think it's not that people are not good at it. It's that
32:09
um there's not enough uh educators, right? It comes from the schools
32:16
driving or assisting the students. It's the same thing like when we spoke about Africans, you know, kids say they can't speak
32:22
Africans, but Africans is not a difficult language if it's taught in the correct way. And the same way with with
32:29
maths. If it's taught in the correct way, there shouldn't be a problem for children and I mean, we went through it.
32:37
People if they didn't pass higher grade, they at least pass standard grade. Mhm.
32:42
You didn't have a huge failure of of standard grade maths. So how is it that people are failing maths literacy which
32:49
is relatively lower than what standard grade was? Okay. So I actually want to know
32:56
parents, teachers, learners, if you're listening, we want to hear your thoughts on this. Did math literacy help you ne
33:03
navigate life or did you feel like it closed doors for your tertiary education? Let us know. You know, it's
33:09
it's interesting to know from those who went through it who who who did math literacy and see how um it you know like
33:18
maybe uh learners who were just in metric last year is it or in two years
33:23
ago did it help you this year did it help you uh last year you know what I mean
33:29
let us know from from that yeah I I think um you know we have to
33:34
look at real world examples and and we've experienced it just this week. Yes. So, we were at a store, right? And just
33:42
to paint a picture. So, we're at the store and they said if you buy for a
33:47
certain amount, you get a certain discount. So, let's let's say for example, if you buy for 200 rand, you
33:54
get a 30% discount, right? And we made sure that we bought for the required
33:59
amount so that we could get the discount. Yes. and we went to the till and the point of
34:06
sale system was obviously not set up for that particular discount for whatever reason. That's a that's a whole separate
34:13
issue. Yes. Right. Um and then we made the uh cashier aware
34:20
that the you know the discount did not kick in. Yes. So she called a manager and the
34:27
manager came in and we tried to explain to the manager and this process took about let's say 15 or 20 minutes and I
34:34
might be wrong it might have even been longer. We not only had to explain the problem
34:41
we had to explain to the manager how to calculate the discount. So let's
34:46
30% discount. Yeah. So let's let's let's say the amount was 210 rand and it was a 30%
34:52
discount. So the manager says to us, so okay, so firstly, the point of sales system didn't allow for just the manager
35:01
to input the 30% discount. He had to input the amount, the discounted amount
35:08
manually. So he couldn't just say, you know, like take off 30%.
35:13
Which is another issue again for the point of sale for the point of sale system. Um so
35:21
he had to work it out manually and then put in the amount the discounted amount.
35:27
So again we saying the amount was 210 rand. The manager then says to us um
35:34
okay so the discount is 25 rand. So we like already confused because if you
35:41
calculate and you can go now and calculate on your calculator or if you can do it in your brain already 10%
35:46
discount would be 21 rand. So how would 25 rand be a 30% discount and we were
35:53
trying to explain to him and it just wasn't. And now this is the manager of
35:58
the store right so this is not just um the cashier the cashier. So this is a senior person
36:04
in the store who should have or we would have liked to have not just maths
36:11
literacy, you know. Exactly. And now we don't know. we we can't judge cuz we can't say if that person did cuz
36:18
we obviously didn't ask him did you study math literacy or did you do pure maths but I mean just from that incident
36:26
it took us a while for us to explain to him that the 30% discount was more than
36:33
25 rand and you know for him to actually get it and we actually had to show him
36:38
on our phone on the calculator to show him this is what it is minus 30% %
36:44
that's the total amount that should be the uh deduction. But surely anyone can say because you
36:52
know when you're busy giving a tip you know most of us go to restaurants and stuff and you know a 10% tip and and to
36:59
say 210 like you said 210 10% tip is already 21 rand.
37:05
Yeah. So now if you're going to say 10% plus 10% plus 10% which gives you 30%,
37:12
21 rand plus 21 rand plus 21 rand that definitely doesn't give you 25 rand
37:17
anyone can figure that out. But you see you talking about receiving
37:23
money here they are discounting you. So they already
37:28
when people are not interested in how much discount they need to give you but when they need to receive money they can
37:35
work it out quickly and that's exactly what I'm trying what what we what myself
37:40
and Dr. and a lady pando are trying to say is that [laughter]
37:46
there is that um ability to learn pure
37:52
maths you know to to do it and to do those calculations but because the brain
37:59
has been trained on a not a lesser than but you know like an like they said like
38:05
an easier subject students have now become
38:10
um complacent and they they've said oh well the passing rate is whatever it is
38:16
30%. Um so as long as we get that it's fine
38:21
and we've seen that even as concessions facilitators we scribe for a child and the the the
38:30
um uh mark allocation is say five marks and
38:36
the child you can see that the child has only uh written down something for one mark or two marks and you'll say to them
38:45
you know the question for five marks, you know, and they'll literally tell you
38:50
that that's enough for me to pass. Yes. There's quite a few kids that we
38:56
know that um actually like over the years, I'm not saying now, recently, over the years, they tend to actually
39:03
calculate how much they can do so that they can just pass. But there's a there. They
39:11
have the drive to calculate how much they need to do to pass,
39:17
but they don't have the drive to do the actual work. And that's and I think
39:22
that's that's that's another topic, the drive and a motivation to do this. [laughter] No, but that's that's that's where it is
39:29
is that the the school systems are not assisting the kids to reach that ability
39:36
because as far as they concerned and we've seen it, educators come in a lot of them and we're not pointing fingers
39:44
at educators. We're not saying anything. They come in, they read from a textbook
39:49
and they're out and that's it. And um obviously us as tutors and concessions
39:56
facilitators, we don't mind because then we come in and we fill that gap. But there isn't um you know that that open
40:06
door policy anymore where that you know you could go to the teachers afterwards and they would assist you and um even
40:13
during the class you know it's just this is what what we learning for today and
40:19
that's it. I believe there are you know there are still some educators and some in some schools and I know that for a
40:26
fact you know in some of the recent schools that I've been in there are that those educators who still allow and I I
40:33
see the students coming in they want to know where they've you know g fallen short and then the educator says okay
40:40
today after class or tomorrow uh today after school tomorrow after school and so on. So they are a few. Yes.
40:46
No, they are they are still and and um we congratulate them and we recognize
40:52
them and you know we you know we we want we we want more of them. That's that's
40:58
what we're saying because that's where it starts. And if the the the
41:04
educators are willing to assist and willing to you know go above and beyond
41:10
to ensure that the you can't say that the children don't want to learn and the
41:15
children are not interested because you've chosen that profession and you
41:22
know you want to assist the the the children and yes the children are going to be difficult and they they are they
41:28
you know they want to do the bare minimum Why then introduce a subject
41:34
that allows them to do even less than the bare minimum? Okay, now I get you [laughter]
41:43
because we know that every child has the potential. So you don't want to um
41:48
squander that potential. And with that, let's just say that education is the
41:54
ultimate equal equalizer in society and mathematics is the language of the
42:00
future global economy. It is and if we leave our children behind in numerousy, we leave them behind in the
42:06
job market of tomorrow and that is relevant in that um incident that we
42:12
experienced this week. Yes. Okay. But once again, if you'd like to
42:17
join the conversation during the week, you can do so on our social media pages @ i love.com. That's i o v e z a c o m.
42:28
We are on Instagram, Facebook, x, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tik Tok, threads, and
42:33
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42:38
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42:45
and if you've missed any of the other Level Up episodes or you would like to just go back and listen to it, you are
42:52
welcome to do so on the Radio Islam International SoundCloud.
42:58
To our dear listeners for joining us on this lovely Sunday afternoon, please
43:03
join us every Sunday right here on Radio Islam International from 2 to 3:00 p.m.
43:09
Inshallah. Amen. from myself Nabiha, from Isa and from Zad. Enjoy your Sunday
43:16
and we wish you a wonderful week ahead. Inshallah.
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