Education Ministry Focused on Making ‘Maths Count’

As part of its campaign to improve the teaching and learning of Mathematics across the country’s school system, the Ministry of Education and Youth introduced several interventive strategies focusing on changing the culture of Jamaicans towards the subject.

In March 2013, a ‘Maths Count’ campaign was launched during National Maths Week, which was being observed for the first time, and has now become a regular calendar event.

National Mathematics Coordinator at the Ministry, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, tells JIS News that this ongoing campaign is part of a broader initiative to improve the teaching and learning of Maths.

According to her, the Ministry recognised the need to change individuals’ perception of the subject, particularly students, and their ability to see the relationship between what they are learning in the classroom and their everyday life experiences.

“We expect that if that link is consistently made, over time we will begin to see positive outcomes from several standpoints, in terms of how students perceive the subject itself but also in terms of their performance,” she explains.

Another strategy employed by the Ministry, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, is the award of scholarships to Maths teachers, who are bonded for five years after completing their studies. More than 1,000 scholarships have been awarded since 2015.

“Maths scholarships have always either met or exceeded quota, and this is a good indication of what is happening out there,” Dr. Benjamin says. The Education Ministry has also redesigned its Maths programme by placing more emphasis on capacity-building in teachers’ colleges.

This programme received support from the National Institute of Education in Singapore.

Opportunities for mentorship and engagement with the students in training at teachers’ colleges are also facilitated.

During the first year, student teachers preparing to teach Maths, whether at the primary or secondary level, have to take a diagnostic test, developed and administered by the Ministry.

Dr. Benjamin advises that the results are analysed, which enables colleges to recognise where gaps exist and develop and implement interventions to ensure that by the time that potential teacher leaves the system, these gaps and misconceptions would have been addressed.

Data show that there has been consistent growth in student performance at the primary level.

Additionally, that in 2012, just about 40 per cent of grade-four students attained mastery. Further, that in 2022, approximately 75 per cent of students attained mastery at grade four.

Dr. Benjamin discloses that the data also indicate that more students have a positive outlook on the subject.

“When we visit schools, we used to see a dominance of literacy resources, such as literacy corners, and you would have to be searching for any evidence that this was an environment in which Mathematics was taught. However, we are seeing a shift from that,” she further points out.

Dr. Benjamin tells JIS News that Principals are being “more assertive” in identifying resources, human or otherwise, to support the Maths programmes in their schools, adding that “we see Parent-Teachers Associations (PTAs) stepping up to support schools in acquiring resources”.

“So, I think, on so many levels, we are seeing that shift… and for us, seeing the growth at the primary level and seeing the change in attitudes manifesting… from the leadership of the school down to our students and our parents. Those are indicators that the message is getting out there, that Maths is important, and that Maths does count”, Dr. Benjamin says.

Mathematics Coordinator for the Education Ministry’s Region Six, Camae Johnson-Burrell, tells JIS News that, at the regional level, several initiatives, such as planning sessions for teachers and workshops for students, are undertaken.

“We are trying to motivate our teachers, as well, because if we motivate our teachers, it will be easier to motivate our students to improve their performance,” she says.

Mrs. Johnson-Burrell adds that Maths teacher workshops and meeting with Maths Department Heads to assist with building content level and the conceptual understanding of the students and teachers, are some of the other strategies employed by the Ministry.

Meanwhile, Mathematics Coordinator for Region Two, Shauna-Gay Young-Henry, points out that Quality Education Circles (QECs), established by the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC), are also used to enrich the teaching and learning of Maths.

Each QEC has a Maths Ambassadors Professional Learning Community (PLC). Mrs. Young Henry discloses that a Maths Teacher from each school within the QEC is assigned to form the PLC.

Within this group, they have the opportunity to exchange effective practices, and share what they have been doing in their schools to lift the school’s profile as it relates to Maths.

“These Maths Ambassadors are the ones who try as best as possible, with the support of the Regional Maths team, to ensure the collaboration to lift the performance of the students within the school,” Mrs. Young-Henry says.

The eighth staging of National Maths Week was held from March 26 to 31, 2023, under the theme ‘Reigniting the Maths Flame: Light Up Your World!’.