Math Madness

EDITOR: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This quote attributed to Rita Brown, perhaps aptly describes what is happening with CSEC Math in our schools today. According to Google, insanity in a legal sense is a mental illness severe enough to prevent someone from understanding the nature of their actions or distinguishing right from wrong at the time of a crime. The crime victims are the students who fail Math and the perpetrators are all those responsible for teaching them Math.

We are in a crisis and perhaps should declare a 10-day period of mourning for the lives disrupted because we did not adequately teach our students Math.

If we continue the same approach to Math, we will get the same result, so we must change our approach. We should learn from past experiences, adapt and change strategies because what we are currently doing  is not working. The solution depends on the collective wisdom of our population. A conversation with Pastor Hollis Browne, nurse Gale Glasgow, Althea Mason, Junior Williams and Andrea Edwards recommended certain actions for improved performance in Math.

They said that students must have adequate reading skills, texts, geometry set, pencils, graph paper, adequate practice time, more contact hours, weekly tests, know Times Tables and formulas, have positive attitude towards the subject, taught in a practical way, utilize Cooperative Learning, be given appropriate homework, given timely feedback, and be in a disciplined environment void of distractions of dress. Math is not rocket science and with the appropriate experience students will succeed.

Anthony G. Stewart, PhD