✍️   Beniamin Nurullah, M.Sc (Maths), B. Ed.

“Arithmetic is the queen of Mathematics and Mathematics is the queen of Science”

Mathematics is a very important subject. Therefore, before imparting and transmitting its knowledge, it is necessary to understand what Mathematics is?” Why is its knowledge is given? What is its nature? And what are the aims and objective of teaching Mathematics and so on. A large number of students don’t like mathematics. It is completely different from the other subjects. It is spelling is also little tough for some students. In my practical life, many students get 80% or more in the HSLC Exam. But they don’t know the spelling of mathematics. Specially village students are not ready to know Mathematics. They are ready to know by learn by heart method or parrot learning process or afraid of Mathematics. Because whether the backwardness of teachers or the students. Means, the teacher can not create interest to the students to know Mathematics or can not put proper methods or techniques. One more example the spelling of Mathematics, if we teach them like as MAT, HE, MAT, ICS mean He is sitting between two MAT with ICS degree that is Mathematics and shortly we can say ‘MERE ATHMA TUJE HAMESHA SATAIE.’ That is MATHS.

No one can live without Mathematics. It can be compared to Oxygen. Every human needs mathematics as need they needs Oxygen. Everyone are using Mathematics 100 more times per day. But we don’t know where or how to use it.

What is Mathematics ?

Mathematics has originated from Numbers and Numbers system is a special field of it, by which other branches of Mathematics are developed. In Hindi, Mathematics is known is ‘GANITA’ meaning there by the Science of calculation’ and as Oxford Dictionary- Mathematics is the science of measurement, quantity and magnitude. According to different Mathematicians-

• Benjamin Peire– Mathematics is the science that draws necessary conclusions.
• Galeleo– “Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe.”
• Locke- “Mathematics is a way to settle in the mind of children a habit of reasoning”

Again many more mathematicians defined it in different ways. But here it is not possible to mention all.

Why do we need Mathematics? 

If we don’t have adequate knowledge of Mathematics then we may face many pre problems in our day to day life. One more example-suppose, your small kids don’t want to go to school then you promise him to give one rupee, in the 1 day, two rupees in the 2 day, four rupees in the 3rd day, eight rupees 4th day upto 30 day and he agreed to do so. But you can’t give him upto 30th day, because these much money can’t be earned by no means in proper ways in your whole life. Means in the day of 30, you will have to give him 53,68,70,912 Rs. to send him to school. Is it possible? I think, it’s impossible. So without proper knowledge of maths, you may spoil your kids.
Now, I want to discuss the defects in the present day teaching of Mathematics in
schools and their possible remedies-

In the present day teaching of Mathematics is far from being satisfactory due to the draw backs of either teacher or the students, at their works. The entire setup is to blamed for this. In spite of the fact that it is taught compulsorily to all the students up to the tenth standard. They don’t become adept even in elementary arithmetic. A literate person fails to calculate while making payments to a shopkeeper for the articles purchased by him. Everybody has a complaint against the teaching of Mathematics. It is dull, boring, difficult and useless from the point of view of the learner. It is too remote from life to interest the students. The teacher also complain of excessive workload and back of faculties in the form of aids and equipment. Again, principal or management complain, it is the fault of the teachers who don’t make the students put in adequate labours.”

DEFECTS AND POSSIBLE REMEDIES

1. Teacher’s Qualification.
2. Teacher’s Burden
3. Teacher’s Salary
4. Teacher’s Attitude
5. Lack of purpose
6. Lack of equipment
7. Method of Teaching
8. Large Classes
9. Rigour in study
10. Practical aspect
11.Mathematical Language
12. Syllabus
13. Text-Books
14. The Students
15. Child-Centre approach
16. Libraries and Laboratories
17. Ban on Short-cut method
18. Examinations
19. Non co-operation of guardians
20. Lack of trained Teacher
21. All promotion (allow) system.

Even after removing the above mentioned defect completely there will be a score for improvement concerted efforts will have to be made for a pretty long time to set right the present deplorable affairs. The best remedy is the devoted teacher. His personality can over shadows all the handicaps. The subject possesses tremendous practical, disciplinary and cultural values. Its importance can’t be over looked. It should be taught as it should be taught.
Moreover, motivation and interest are the most important part of students and the class environments. On entrance of the teacher, he or she should motivate and the student to pay attention or creates interest to know something from the & Mathematics teacher. Teacher should keep in his/her mind it properly. To fruit full or effective teaching of Mathematics, a teacher must observe the classroom environment, whether the students are ready to know something from him or not. The teacher should give extra example related to the day by day life which are related to Mathematics. The Mathematics teacher should try to remove the fear of the students that Mathematics is not a tough or hard subjects. He should teach them by fun, games and jokes also.

Some examples are mentioned as follows-

1. Guessing the date and month of birth:

Step-I : Multiply the date of birth by 20.
Step-II: Add 73 to the number obtained in Step-I.
Step-III: Multiply the number obtained in Step-II by 5.
Step-IV : Add the serial number of the months to the number obtained in Step-III.
Disclose the number: To forecast the date and month of birth, subtract 365 from the disclosed number. The first digit in case of 3 digit number or first two digits in case of a four digit number on the left denote the date of birth and other two digit denote the serial number of the month of birth i.e. My day of Birth is 12th January.
Step-I: 12 x 20= 240
Step-II: 240+73= 313
Step-III: 313 x 5= 1565
Step-IV: 1565+01= 1566

Calculation: 1566-365= 1201
So, the date of birth is 12 and Month is January (01).

2. Three boys are living in a private hostel and each of the student handed over a ten rupee note to the cooks as their monthly house rent. He took the money to the house owner and the owner received Rs. 25/- not Rs. 30/-. So, the owner returned him Rs. 5/-. On the way back the cook had returned back one rupee to each of them and kept Rs. 2/- with him. Now each man paid Rs. 9/- and three times 9/- is 27/-. The cook had Rs. 2/- in his pocket. Total amount is 27+ 2 = Rs. 29/-.

But the boys originally handed over Rs. 30, where is that one rupee?

3. A man having Rs. 500/- in a bank makes withdrawal as follows-