Maths Centre retrains mathematics teachers for effective performance – Director

The National Mathematics Center (NMC) says it will retrain math teachers to effectively teach and learn the subject in schools.

Professor Promise Mebine, director / CEO of the Center, indicated this during the second round of the 2021 National Mathematical Sciences Olympiad Competition on Saturday in Abuja.

Mebine, who stressed the importance of mathematics in the development of education, said that inadequate funding is the nightmare of the development of mathematics in the country.

He said: “If the Center has the necessary resources, it could empower students to compete with their counterparts in any other country.

“The problem is the funds to train, we need funds to train teachers in the areas of mathematical sciences so that they can train students well.

“We need to train the trainers first so that they have the necessary knowledge of the subject, some people study mathematics but they don’t know how to teach it to the students.

“We have also developed math kits, we have math games and even math textbooks that are so simple to understand.

“So we are doing our best, the problem is that people are afraid of mathematics because of some misperceptions about mathematics.

“Also, the teaching method may not be good enough to better understand the subject, although we are doing our best in terms of training.”

The principal, however, encouraged the participants to do their best to be good ambassadors in their various schools of mathematical sciences.

According to him, the Olympiad is an annual national competition that affects both public and private secondary schools.

Additionally, Ms. Dorathy Azubuike from the Board of Secondary Education, while calling for teacher training, thanked the Center for the initiative and the opportunity given to the students to compete with each other.

The Nigerian News Agency reports that the Olympiad Competition is being held in five subjects of mathematical sciences, such as mathematics, physics, biology, computer science and chemistry.

The Olympiad Competition has three stages, the second stage is ongoing, after which the best students in all subjects will proceed to the third stage where the overall winners will emerge.

Source: NAN