By
Afedzi Abdullah, GNA
Biriwa (C/R), Aug. 07, GNA – The fourth
edition of the Professor Allotey Maths Camp has opened in Biriwa in the Central
Region with a call on mathematics educators to make the learning experience of
the subject more practical and real for students rather than focusing on
passing examinations.
The one-week camp is aimed at developing
problem solving skills through mathematical activities, games and puzzles to
equip senior and junior high school students with practical knowledge and
approach to the study of the subject to directly impact their lives.
It is being organised under the sponsorship of
the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Ghana and the AIMS
Ghana Research Centre, Supporting African Maths Initiative (SAMI) and the
African Maths Initiative (AMI).
Participants would experience a computer-based
environment with the latest mathematical software, meet mathematics teachers,
lecturers and researchers from Ghana and beyond and discover ways the subject
was being used in the other parts of the World to solve problems.
It is being attended by over 50 junior and
second cycle students and teachers from across Ghana and 25 volunteers from
Africa, Asia and Europe and would engage in using games, computing and other
creative materials to learn mathematics.
The Maths Camp would also give teachers an
opportunity to realise and understand the power of mathematics by looking
beyond the curriculum as they would be exposed to a more proactive teaching and
learning activities and the use of ICT to help students learn mathematics in an
exciting way.
Speaking at the opening, Mrs Lucy Quist,
President of AIMS Ghana, underscored the need to encourage students to learn
mathematics and apply it in their everyday lives and not see it as just a requirement for one’s academic
progression.
She explained that the camp seeks to make
mathematics more practical and real for the participating students such that
the skills acquired could be applied to the learning of other subjects.
She said because students were taught mainly
to pass their examinations, it became difficult for them to understand and
appreciate how to apply the principles of mathematics in dealing with everyday
life situations.
Professor Emmanuel Essel, Head of Mathematics
Department, University of Cape Coast (UCC), noted that every mathematics topic
had practical application in everyday life.
He said quadratic equations, matrix and
vectors were useful mathematics principles that could be used in engineering,
agriculture and tourism respectively.
Mr Jeff Goodman, Director of SAMI said Africa
needed people with strong mathematical skills and critical minds to solve its
problems.
He encouraged the participants to make the
best out of the opportunity to equip themselves with mathematical skills, be
critical thinkers and proactive to solve life problems.
The idea of the Allotey Maths Camp, previously
known as the Ghana Maths Camp, came from a group of AIMS Ghana students, who
were eager to share their experiences with school children as championed by the
late Professor Allotey, a renowned mathematician.
GNA