Despite high spending on education relative to other countries, South Africa scores poorly on most international education rankings. In 2004, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) argued that the country would need to double the number of matric Higher Grade (HG)[1] mathematics and science passes for economic growth, a goal which was formally adopted by the government in 2006. Epoch and Optima Trusts, founded by Anglo American, established the Maths Challenge Programme (MCP) in 2007 in response to this imperative. Tshikululu managed and monitored the programme over its 15-year lifespan. Effective monitoring, grounded in a results-based approach, with comprehensive data analysis and reporting have been essential in tracking progress over the course of the programme – and, ultimately, providing the data for making evidence-based decisions about its future.
