Misuse of mathematics concept causes harm- Prof Anku

Professor Sitsofe Anku, Executive Director of Meagasa Mathematics Academy has expressed worry about little interest in the study of Mathematics which had caused damage to the citizenry.

Prof Anku posited that the misuse of Mathematics had led to the death of a patient where a Doctor prescribed a medicine for 5.0 milligrammes and the Nurse ignored the point and used 50 milligrammes.

“This could have been avoided if all and sundry appreciated the study of decimals in mathematics and the role it played in our daily lives”, he added.

He expressed the concern in Accra at a two- day annual congress which brought together selected students from the Senior High Schools and Primary level organised by the Academy on the theme “Love Ghana, Love Mathematics”.

Prof Anku said mathematics revolved around all spheres of disciplines and it was necessary for students to psyche their minds and learn the subject, because there was no profession without mathematical concept.

The Professor urged students to shed their fear of mathematics, saying the myth around mathematics as a difficult subject could be broken with persistent practice.

He said effective mathematics teachers had a broad range of specific teaching strategies available to them, and that determining the best strategies for a lesson was an important aspect of teachers’ creative role in the classroom.

He noted that studies have shown that there were many attributes of an effective mathematics teacher, and many of these attributes are involve the learners since effective teaching was reflective of effective learning.

Speaking on the topic “Mathematics and Good Governance”, Uncle Ebo Whyte, a Playwright admonished students to develop keen interest and appreciate the study of mathematics because it enhanced knowledge on their future profession.

He said there could not be effective governance without accurate figures for empirical evidence and as such the country’s curriculum should design to train students .

“Effective governance is not only about the nation but the individual and business enterprises as well, hence the need to recognise the importance of mathematics in national development”, he added.

He urged teachers to make the learning and studying of mathematics exciting to students in that effective mathematics helped students’ to develop their positive attitudes towards the subject.

Mr Whyte urged teachers to update their knowledge and skills through constant reading and attending workshops to be abreast of current mathematical methods.

Ms Monica Crankson, Assistant Lecturer , Department of Mathematics at University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa speaking on role of Mathematics in the Oil and Gas Industry said it takes effective mathematics to drill oil in the upstream, mid stream and the downstream.

“Most people think the study of mathematics is limited to the classroom, but it is also applied in the field of work as well and that effective study of mathematics leads to the efficiency of the country’s economy”, he added.

She said it was imperative for authorities to demystify the minds of students about the difficulty of mathematics and make them understand and appreciate the concept of the subject, since it was a choice to learn mathematics.

Ms Crankson urged the students to have the right attitudes towards mathematics, build their mind set with the ‘can do spirit’ to learn the subject from the basis for better understanding.

She tasked teachers not to allow students to be passive learners but should ensure that their skills are well utilised to enable them understand the subject.