Prof. calls for review of Maths curriculum
Dec 14, 2003
A visiting professor from the Victoria University, Melbourne Australia, has said that the current mathematics curriculum in Africa is outdated and there is urgent need for it to be reviewed
By Alex Balimwikungu
A visiting professor from the Victoria University, Melbourne Australia, has said that the current mathematics curriculum in Africa is outdated and there is urgent need for it to be reviewed.
Prof. Santosh Kumar said that the Maths curriculum should be reviewed both at secondary school and university level, to make students appreciate the subject more.
“There is very little on current information technology and modern thinking, and besides, there is no need to expose students to modules relevant in other societies, where they do not have applicability,†Kumar said.
He was reacting to a paper presented by Prof. Verdiana Masanja of Dar-Es-Salaam University on the Impact of modern Mathematics in other disciplines.
This was at the first Pan African Biomathematics congress held at Hotel Equatoria last Monday. The five-day congress was convened by Makerere University’s Mathematics Department.
Prof. Masanja noted that the Mathematics subject will soon go into extinction if it doesn’t merge with other related fields.
“Mathematics is an inter-disciplinary subject and every branch of it has an application. If we do not think of merging with other disciplines, we are soon going into extinction,†she observed. She noted that the subject is fundamental in studies of Epidemiology, Engineering, Computer Science, Philosophy, and Social Sciences.
Dr. V A Ssembatya, head Mathematics Department at Makerere encouraged mathematicians to go out and market themselves in order to clear the adage that it is a boring subject.
“We are witnessing a dangerous trend in Uganda. The number of students showing an inclination towards studying mathematics is decreasing by the year. Many attest to it being a boring subject,†he observed.
The professor called for joint effort to make the subject interesting.
A visiting professor from the Victoria University, Melbourne Australia, has said that the current mathematics curriculum in Africa is outdated and there is urgent need for it to be reviewed.
Prof. Santosh Kumar said that the Maths curriculum should be reviewed both at secondary school and university level, to make students appreciate the subject more.
“There is very little on current information technology and modern thinking, and besides, there is no need to expose students to modules relevant in other societies, where they do not have applicability,†Kumar said.
He was reacting to a paper presented by Prof. Verdiana Masanja of Dar-Es-Salaam University on the Impact of modern Mathematics in other disciplines.
This was at the first Pan African Biomathematics congress held at Hotel Equatoria last Monday. The five-day congress was convened by Makerere University’s Mathematics Department.
Prof. Masanja noted that the Mathematics subject will soon go into extinction if it doesn’t merge with other related fields.
“Mathematics is an inter-disciplinary subject and every branch of it has an application. If we do not think of merging with other disciplines, we are soon going into extinction,†she observed. She noted that the subject is fundamental in studies of Epidemiology, Engineering, Computer Science, Philosophy, and Social Sciences.
Dr. V A Ssembatya, head Mathematics Department at Makerere encouraged mathematicians to go out and market themselves in order to clear the adage that it is a boring subject.
“We are witnessing a dangerous trend in Uganda. The number of students showing an inclination towards studying mathematics is decreasing by the year. Many attest to it being a boring subject,†he observed.
The professor called for joint effort to make the subject interesting.