Speaking to reporters during the PI-day celebrations in Dar es
Salaam this week, the Deputy Rector for the Tanzania chapter of the
African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Dr Wilson Charles
disclosed that the great challenge the country is facing is lack of
qualified mathematics teachers.
Organised by the Mathematical Association of Tanzania (MAT), the
celebrations brought together various experts, teachers, students and
education stakeholders to learn and share various issues about
Mathematics and its significance to the nation.
“Mathematics is everything; we use it in our daily lives. So more
efforts are needed by giving the subject its due priority thus leading
the country to a place where everyone can appreciate,” he said. Dr
Charles also urged students to get rid of the misconception that
Mathematics is a very difficult subject and instead they should invest
their time and energy on it and they will realise how easy and good the
subject is.
He said AIMS will continue to support various institutions in the
country to enable the country produce more mathematics students at
degree and masters degree level.
Responding to that, Director of Secondary Education in the Ministry
of Education, Science and Technology and Vocational Training Paulina
Mkonongo said the government was embracing the subject to ensure that
Tanzanians use it to solve some of the economic development challenges.
She said plans are underway to ensure that the subject is being loved and appreciated by many students.
“We have plans to conduct a countrywide research to find out what
is real disturbing our children from loving the subject,” she said.
Mkonongo stressed that with the good intention of the new government to make Tanzania industrialised, Mathematics is inevitable.
Recent announced Form Four national examinations results show that
over 80 per cent of candidates who sat for last year’s exams failed in
mathematics and that only 16.76 percent of the candidates passed the
subject.
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