Experts blame teachers for students’ poor performance in Mathematics

MATHEMATICS teachers have been identified as the major human factor causing poor performance of students in Mathematics in the country.

Other factors listed include shortage of qualified Mathematics teachers, poor facilities, inadequate equipments and instructional materials.

This was a summary of views expressed by experts, including mathematicians at a maiden edition of Cowbellpedia Academy in Lagos, recently.

The academy – an initiative of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk, is designed to boost the interest of teachers and students in the teaching and studying of Mathematics. Up to 1,500 students and 150 Mathematics teachers are targeted for training through the academy.

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One of the facilitators at the event, Bernardo Raceman Santos, said the best approach to teach Mathematics is to let the student see the beauty of the subject.

According to him, “students run from Mathematics because they are asked to memorise formulas, follow certain procedures and instructions, whereas the subject is more about discovery, thinking and curiosity.”

Santos, who teaches Mathematics at the Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, noted that the best way to retain the best brain to teach the subject is to catch them young as Cowbell is doing.

Similarly, another facilitator, Karam Aloui, from the University of Spax, Tunisia, said Maths teachers should make teaching very interesting to their students.

On his part, Samson Adewale, Mathematics teacher at the Future Heritage High School, Ota, Ogun State, said Mathematics is not in any way difficult to teach and learn and therefore, both students and teachers should take their respective job more seriously.

Meanwhile, representatives of Niger, Ogun, Rivers and Delta States have secured a semi-final ticket in the ongoing Cowbellpedia Maths TV Quiz.

Praise Isinkaye of Federal Government Academy, Suleja and Israel Adegboyega of Scholars Universal Secondary School Ota represented the first two states in the senior category of the competition, while Benny Sampson-Uche of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt and Jefferson Ejaife of DSC Technical High School, Aladja, represented Rivers and Delta States respectively in the junior category.

The senior students defeated Fakorede Oluwafunmbi of Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesha, Osun State; Vincent Ezeanyagu of Baptist High School, Naraguta-Jos, Plateau State and Haruna Hassan Kabaju of Nigerian Tulip International College for Boys, Damaturu, Yobe State, among others while the latter beat Otutochi Nwadinkpa of Nigerian Tulip International College for Boys; Oyongwo Gwanette of Britarch Secondary School, Umuahia, Abia State; Festus Ebarekor of University Preparatory Secondary School, Benin, Edo State; and Mustapha Muhammad of Jigawa State Academy for the Gifted, Bamaina, Jigawa State to get to the next stage holding this weekend.