Parents need to be ‘plus factor’ in boosting maths

THE myths that mathematics is a “hard subject” and that “it is not for everyone” need to change, and the foundation for this change lies in the family, says Deputy Permanent Secretary of Education Stanley Simaata.

He was speaking at the launch of the second National Mathematics Congress at Swakopmund last week. The three-day event was attended by about 200 primary- and secondary-school teachers from across the country.Simaata admitted that the local education system still faced many challenges in developing its services, especially with regards to subjects such as science, mathematics and English.He said it was imperative for Namibia to stick to the Vision 2030 goal of nurturing a nation that is knowledge-based and self-sufficient.This, he believes, will only be possible if important subjects are promoted, developed and taught with the purpose to make them accessible and understandable for all pupils.This is the purpose of the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), which addresses a wide range of issues, especially with key interventions in subjects such as mathematics, science and English.”Maths forms the foundation of all activities, be it simple household tasks or complicated technological advancement; maths is everywhere,” Simaata said.He said in the past, under colonial rule, the myth was propagated that mathematics was “not for everyone”.Simaata said this attitude was carried over from one generation to the next, and the impact on current school results had been critical.Apart from learning how to transmit knowledge, he also encouraged teachers to realise that children have ingenious ways, which may be contrary to the rigid teaching methods, to solve mathematical problems.He encouraged the teachers to try and accommodate these other methods.He said poor performance in subjects such as mathematics is often blamed on teachers and poor teaching methods.However, according to him, the problem lies at home – where “results are made”.Parents’ negative attitude towards maths should change into encouragement.Parents should encourage their children – even on pre-school level – that it is possible for them to excel in mathematics and science, and that, with these subjects, they could achieve greater heights in their school and professional careers.”It is for this reason that parents and teachers should work together to demystify maths, and that is one of the issues that should be looked at at the congress, on how we will do this in order to improve the results of maths at school level and eventually meet our 2030 goal,” he stated.The congress was also attended by mathematics lecturers from South Africa.Its focus was on the development of the “number sense” and involving pupils in practical activities to explore mathematical concepts.The three-day event was attended by about 200 primary- and secondary-school teachers from across the country.Simaata admitted that the local education system still faced many challenges in developing its services, especially with regards to subjects such as science, mathematics and English.He said it was imperative for Namibia to stick to the Vision 2030 goal of nurturing a nation that is knowledge-based and self-sufficient.This, he believes, will only be possible if important subjects are promoted, developed and taught with the purpose to make them accessible and understandable for all pupils.This is the purpose of the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), which addresses a wide range of issues, especially with key interventions in subjects such as mathematics, science and English.”Maths forms the foundation of all activities, be it simple household tasks or complicated technological advancement; maths is everywhere,” Simaata said.He said in the past, under colonial rule, the myth was propagated that mathematics was “not for everyone”.Simaata said this attitude was carried over from one generation to the next, and the impact on current school results had been critical.Apart from learning how to transmit knowledge, he also encouraged teachers to realise that children have ingenious ways, which may be contrary to the rigid teaching methods, to solve mathematical problems.He encouraged the teachers to try and accommodate these other methods.He said poor performance in subjects such as mathematics is often blamed on teachers and poor teaching methods.However, according to him, the problem lies at home – where “results are made”.Parents’ negative attitude towards maths should change into encouragement.Parents should encourage their children – even on pre-school level – that it is possible for them to excel in mathematics and science, and that, with these subjects, they could achieve greater heights in their school and professional careers.”It is for this reason that parents and teachers should work together to demystify maths, and that is one of the issues that should be looked at at the congress, on how we will do this in order to improve the results of maths at school level and eventually meet our 2030 goal,” he stated.The congress was also attended by mathematics lecturers from South Africa.Its focus was on the development of the “number sense” and involving pupils in practical activities to explore mathematical concepts.