POP quiz: what’s the difference between rap music and teaching?
If you asked Barry van Neel this question, his answer would be that there’s none. In his classroom the two go together hand in glove – and his unorthodox tools have helped him unlock the mystery of maths for many a learner.
“A rapper is a teacher,” Barry says. “Rappers and teachers both use words to teach, or to educate, or to instil knowledge. Both convey a message with a goal that’s greater than just the message itself – whether you’re in front of a classroom or an audience.”
Barry is head of the maths department at Ceres Secondary School in the Western Cape and the youngest member of
