A true educational icon has been lost. William Smith, the beloved television teacher who made mathematics and science less terrifying for millions, passed away yesterday at the age of 85 after a short battle with cancer. 😢
Smith was a household name for anyone who grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s and was the face of The Learning Channel.
Born on 25 June 1939, Smith was involved in writing textbooks, training teachers, and contributing to the improvement of science and mathematics education in South Africa. He was the son of the renowned ichthyologists James Leonard Brierley Smith and Margaret Mary Smith. They were the first to describe the coelacanth in 1939. It was rediscovered by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938, having been thought to have been extinct for over 65 million years.
Smith’s approach was rooted in the belief that learning should be enjoyable. His creative methods, like describing carbon as “the proverbial queer, he can love anybody,” held the attention of even the naughtiest students.
In 2019, he was awarded the Order of the Baobab in Silver. However, his influence wasn’t limited to South Africa. At one point, Smith had a daily viewership of over 100 million across Africa, teaching students from different countries, syllabi, and languages.
Around 2015, Smith and his wife followed their daughters to Australia and lived in Perth, according to a profile by Mandy Wiener. She wrote: “Prior to emigrating, he went to see the country’s Education Minister (which he declines to name) to propose a revolutionary teaching programme to be rolled out in collaboration with the government… the Minister told him she could not support him politically as it would be the end of her career, even though she knew the project would work. It left Smith devastated, believing she was more concerned with her own political survival than the education of millions of children.”
As we bid farewell to “South Africa’s favourite teacher,” we remember a man who made learning an adventure. But we also remember the legacy he fought for. We’re sure that our new Basic Education Minister, the DA’s Siviwe Gwarube, who is just 35, will also fondly remember Smith – and hopefully double down on his vision to revolutionise teaching in the country.
Correction: In the 22 August edition of The Wrap, William Smith’s age was incorrectly given as 82. He was 85.
