Education MEC Donald Grant of the Western Cape said in The Times, 15 July 2009, "Too many of our learners are being pushed through the system despite being unable to master literacy and numeracy at the appropriate grade. Unable to cope at higher levels, these learners either drop out of school or fail to pass Grade 12."

And those who do make it into the university system with good mathematical grades (A and B symbols) are not managing university maths. Belinda Huntly, of Wits school of mathematics maintains that "inflated matric results led to inflated expectations" from students and lecturers. However, only 35% of first year engineering students passed their mid-year maths exams this year, compared to 71% last year. (The Star, 26 June 2009)

It seems as if, in the rush to get an optimum number of students through matric, not enough time is being given to cultivating fundamental skills such as critical thinking.

Ivor Blumenthal, CEO of the Services Seta believes that "very little is being done to help people think". This is despite the fact that critical and innovative thinking are imperative for an effective public service and profitable private enterprise in South Africa. Imagine the time and money that would be saved if employees could think clearly and rationally for themselves; raise vital questions; figure out solutions to complex problems and communicate these effectively to colleagues and clients. The mind boggles at the opportunities that this would create!

If these skills are so crucial and yet in such short supply, and if organisations want to upgrade the thinking and performance levels of their employees, it makes good business sense that they invest in training their workforce to think critically and fluidly.

Professor Reuven Feuerstein, who studied under Piaget in Geneva, and is the greatest living specialist in cognitive enrichment, asserts that intelligence, far from being a fixed attribute, can be developed and modified. Mandate Training ascribes to this great man's philosophy that "no individual needs to be left behind". Our Critical Thinking Programme strives to cultivate thinking and learning strategies that enrich intellect and enhance lateral and creative thinking in each of our delegates.

Our expertly facilitated training sessions incorporate stimulating exercises that are related to workplace challenges, and assist delegates to "think about their thinking while thinking". Delegates learn to assess what is expected of them in important work-related projects and respond to these systematically and innovatively by:

• Asking relevant questions
• Extracting key information from resources
• Differentiating between valid and invalid arguments
• Challenging assumptions
• Identifying cause and effect relationships
• Searching for alternative solutions to problems
• Planning, organising and sequencing information for project reports and proposals

The world that we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot change without us changing our thinking. Our world of work will not change unless we enhance the thinking skills of our employees!

For more information please contact Mandate Training's offices:
Telephone: (011) 880 9800
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.mandatetraining.co.za