How govt. can encourage teaching of Mathematics in achools—-Don

By Adekunle Ogbonnaiye, Ado-Ekiti

Government and private school owners in Nigeria have been told to employ teachers who have mathematics as their  major course of study
to teach mathematics in schools.

This, the Dean, Academic Programme, Ajayi Polytechnic, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti, Professor Michael Alonge , would make students have the best hands in teaching the subjects.

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ROYAL NEWS reports that the Don stated this  while addressing stakeholders in education on how to ensure that mathematics teachers follow their students as they move to higher in classes so that the teachers, having understood their
challenges, would know better ways to impart the knowledge.
He  suggested ways on  the teaching and learning of mathematics in
schools and colleges could be tackled in the country.
Prof. Alonge, who   spoke in  a lecture entitled: “Teaching and
Assessment Strategies in Mathematics as Panacea for Technological and
Entrepreneurship Developments” at the Ajayi Polythenic,  Ikere Ekiti
in Ekiti State.
According to him, the failure of education to provide solution to the
myriad of socio-economic problems plaguing  the country should be
blamed on failure to see mathematics as compulsory subject in all
schools.
 “The knowledge of mathematics plays a major role in nation building.
Today, many students in the country have no interest in the subject
because of the wrong approach to teaching it. Schools and government
must ensure that only teachers who have been trained mainly in
mathematics that teach the subjects. Teachers shouldn’t mark down
students for not getting the final answer. Award marks for correct
steps taken by students who didn’t get final answer in the
mathematical calculations.
” There is also the need for schools to ensure that teachers of maths
graduate with their students to their next class. If a teacher has
taught the class one this session, he should teach same class of
students when they get to class one. That way he is better to impart
the knowledge because he already know the challenges of the students
in understanding the subjects, ” he said.
He also called on proper preparation, continuous assessment,
assignment, lesson notes , examples and interrelated nature of the
subject in teaching mathematics, another academic, Mrs.Lucia Valente,
(PhD),  founder, Computational Class Note and Loss of Generality ,
Republic of Ireland, spoke on the use of cloud technology in teaching
mathematics the easy way.
She said: ” The system, cloud technology, is designed to work with
educators in ensuring effective teaching of mathematics in colleges.
It is practice based. The students  keep practising until they get it.
It increase their grades as it lays emphasis on homework. It is
possible to increase student’s grade with constant practice.
” It is based  on visualization, animation and unlimited variation,
self learning , no text books, practice all the time. It enhances time
utilization, decrease drop out , increase grades and encourages
tangible knowledge, gives students confidence and make them to believe
in themselves which are principles for educators. Moreover, is
customized for teachers and clients and in so doing show case the
cultural or organizational identity of the client, ” Mrs. Valente
said.
Explaining why the school chose both Prof. Alonge and Valente to
deliver first public lecture of the institution, Rector of school,
Busayo Ajayi, (PhD) he said: ” our philosophy in the school is to
ensure that we produce graduates that are not only employable but can
become entrepreneurs by starting on their own. Thus is lacking in
Nigerian education system and has led to mass unemployment. We also
want a system that we can teach students better with the use of recent
technological advancement, ” he said.