Which way Mathematics?: Interesting article

[Kichuguu]

This article appeared in the Guardian on November 20th

Which way Mathematics?

By Guardian on sunday correspondent 20th November 2011 About 30 years ago (1979), I produced a fairly controversial article in the Daily News entitled, "Should We Go Back to Traditional Mathematics?" The State House phoned the Commissioner for National Education, Mishael Muze and inquired whether Tanzania was still teaching New Mathematics despite President Nyerere's comments about the programme. The commissioner summoned me after he had learnt that I was the source of the issue of the said article. When I was in his office he told me: "We think what you have written in the paper is right. We support you fully. If you should be summoned by the State House to explain, just do it because we think you have opened people's mind about the new programme".

A quick investigation showed that some time during the experimental stages of the new mathematics programmes, President Julius K. Nyerere visited Nigeria. He was invited into a class that was conducting a mathematics lesson using the new approach. The ideas of SET dominated the lesson. He had learned mathematics using the traditional or rather conventional methods which did not use sets and taught the "hows" and not the "whys". He was reportedly surprised to see the new approach which instantly did not appeal to him. He inquired why they should teach that way. He was bewildered to hear that even in his own country, the programme was being implemented. When he came back, he passed a word that the programme should be reconsidered.

The order came at the time when the commissioner for National Education was Michael Kinunda, a mathematician and a great believer of the modern mathematics approach. Other experts such as Raphael Kiyao, then Director of the Institute of Education (now known as Tanzania Institute of Education) when the programme was being implemented, and R. Mwajombe (then head of MTUU and later served as UNICEF boss in Tanzania), supported the programme. In fact Professor Geoffrey Mmari who served briefly as Director of the Institute of Education before crossing over to the Education Department of the University of Dar es Salaam, Kinunda and Mwajombe participated in developing course materials for the new mathematics. Moreover, an evaluation had recommended the use of the programmes (modern and traditional) by fusing them into one. Gradual phasing out of the two programmes had already started. So, the order to revert to the traditional methods was not implemented. Instead the new ideas were fused into the conventional method to produce the type of programme we have today. I wrote the article after learning that some teachers were not comfortable with the modern approach. They needed more training and commitment.

A few teachers refused to adopt the new methods of teaching because the approach was too demanding. Some parents complained about modern mathematics because they failed to assist their children when the children got stuck in solving certain problems.

These became a source of confusion in conducting the lessons properly. A lot of pupils and students were already fluent with the new approach and they needed sustainable effort to achieve good results. Some teachers, even today, teach in the same ways they used in the early 1960s. Some of the pupils who were taught through the traditional approach and later became mathematics teachers have been emulating their former teachers. "We teach the way we were taught," they claim. Recent developments in education demand the use of learner-centered approach. Teachers groomed in the traditional approach will find it a bit difficult in this paradigm shift. Whatever the case may be, the teacher has to help the students in achieving the educational goals. In this manner, the teachers of mathematics are left with a big challenge of inciting interest and amusement in the study of mathematics and at the same time prove the attainment of popularity and sustainability of teaching mathematics in school.

The Mathematical Association of Tanzania which was formed in 1966 to aid the speeding up of the new methods through seminars and annual meetings has been struggling to make ends meet. Recently a pi day has been established in Tanzania to provide a platform for mathematicians and their supporters to motivate students to like mathematics. A number of stakeholders have expressed their satisfaction in this endeavor and now wait for your support. Professor Beniel Seka is a retired (but not tired) chief curriculum developer from the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE). Phone 0784 49 88 93 sekabeniel@yahoo.com

For those who went to school in the late 60s, 70s and early 70s, you will notice that there are many heads to to hang for the death of mathematics education in Tanzania. The Mathematics textbooks used in the 70s were a collection of mixed garbage with half cooked concepts of abstract algebra, linear algebra, calculus an trigonometry. Those who were lucky to be taught by old teachers used Highway Mathematics in their classes and probably they are the ones who survived the mathematics game. My teachers used Highway Mathematics Volume 5, 6, 7, and 8 subject to minor changes in standard units from imperial units to metric units. The first few years in Secondary school was another nightmare until one came across Kinunda, Mwanjombe, and Mmari books that had copied information from Entebbe Mathematics volumes and added irrelevant stuff from abstract algebra. Poor planning in Mathematics Education killed everything mathematics; starting in late 70's.

 

[Bujibuji Simba Nyamaume]

watu wakiona tu neno mathematics wanatoka nduki, wabongo bwana?