The beloved maths teacher ; Sir William Smith, who made learning accessible to so many South Africans through his television lessons has passed away at the age of 85 after a short battle with cancer.
Smith died in Australia on Wednesday morning after a short battle with cancer.
According to his daughter Jessica Smith, he passed away in Perth, Australia surrounded by family. Jessica stated that they have limited time to spend with their father because of his stage four cancer diagnosis a few weeks ago.
“It’s always hard when someone you love passes on, but you know that is inevitable. We are very fortunate that we could be together as a family, be there in his final moments, and that he went fairly peacefully,” she said.
According to her, while the family was grieving her father’s passing, they were also honoring his legacy, much like the other South Africans who posted tributes on social media.
“I think my dad had a very simple vision, which was bringing education to everyone and not letting race or language or socio-economics or any other reasons stand in the way of education. He was such a firm believer in the power of education,” she said.
“There’s a lot of downsides to social media, but the good side is that people were able to talk about what he meant and how he influenced their lives, their careers, and their decision-making. Some people have just done the most amazing things with the skills and knowledge that my dad gave.”
Smith anchored the Learning Channel, a daytime education show on the SABC, where he broke down the process of solving math sums step-by-step. He spent years visiting families in South Africa and imparting information on a variety of topics, including science, biology, and English.
He launched the program in the 1990s in order to provide underprivileged students with free additional classes, and persuaded the national broadcaster to air it.
Many on social media have shared their high school recollections of the man they hold in high regard as the source of their success. A few even acknowledged skipping school to catch up with the nation’s most popular math teacher while lounging in their living rooms.
Jessica claimed that witnessing others honour her father was motivating.
“When you’re behind the camera, you don’t always know exactly who that is on the other side and what they’re going to do with it. But a couple of years ago, I was on Twitter [now X], I got that feedback and I showed him what people were saying. And he was very moved,” she said.
“He said to me ‘This is why I did it’. Not being behind the screen during retirement years to be able to hear people’s stories about how you helped them… it was just exactly what he wanted.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa bestowed upon Smith the Order of the Baobab in Silver in 2019 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the demystification and instruction of science and mathematics.
Smith received a Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) degree from Rhodes University in 2021 for the Learning Channel program.
At Rhodes University, Smith earned both his BSc and BSc (Hons) degrees with honors when he was in his prime.
“Over the years, Mr Smith reached many young people in South Africa and beyond, for whom his televised lessons were the only quality instruction they received in Mathematics and Science,” wrote Rhodes University’s vice-chancellor, Sizwe Mabizela, in 2021.
“Thanks to his exceptional teaching skills and compassion, for almost two decades, the Learning Channel became an indispensable platform for young people of our country to receive interactive TV education in Mathematics and Science. In this way, he became the teacher for the entire South African nation.”
Smith is survived by his wife, Jenny, his three daughters, and five grandchildren.
Rest in peace, William Smith. 💔
You leave behind a legacy cherished by many South Africans. Thank you for making a difference in countless South African lives.
