Making math amusing

The government yesterday launched the “Mathematical Olympiad method”, a project to help teachers make mathematics a fun subject for students, at an inception workshop held at the auditorium of the Directorate of Primary Education in the capital. 

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education undertook the pilot project which will allow some 5,000 students from 80 schools in 17 upazilas of various districts to learn maths under the method.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the workshop titled “Feasibility Study on Primary Learners' Mathematical Skills Enhancement through Olympiad Techniques”, eminent educationist Prof Muhammad Zafar Iqbal said the effectiveness of the Mathematical Olympiad method was beyond question as the country had already experienced its success. He praised the government for selecting such a method to help children develop their math skills.

The method will incorporate lessons that are oriented in problem solving that allows teachers to generate and apply creative concepts which will encourage students to also be creative.

Md Nurunnabi, director of the project, said the workshops would train about 240 teachers from the 80 schools to implement the method when teaching, while students would be able to develop their maths skills in their classrooms using the method from January to June of 2019.

“We usually don't think out of the box. This time the government has given importance to a movement which is developed by the youth,” Prof Iqbal said, adding, “The number of primary-level students in the country is higher than [the population of] quite a few countries. If we educate our children properly, no one will be able to stop us from progressing.”

Nurunnabi said a baseline survey would be conducted after the project concludes, by the project team, to observe the children's abilities and their progress, which, in turn, would help in taking future decisions regarding the project.

So far, Bangladesh has taken part in 14 editions of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) beginning from 2005, winning one gold medal, six silver medals, and 22 bronze medals.

In July this year, Ahmed Zawad Chowdhury won the first ever gold medal for Bangladesh in the 59th edition of IMO held in Romania. He was accorded for the achievement with a crest at yesterday's programme.

Each year, the Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee (BMOC) arranges a national-level festival, through which it selects students eligible for the IMO.

Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury, president of BMOC, hoped the project would bring positive changes to the country's academic scene.

“It [the project] has to be planned in such a way that children can enjoy while enhancing their math skills,” he said at the programme, adding, “Bangladesh is experiencing a demographic dividend. If we cannot educate our youth properly, we will not be able to reap its benefits.”

Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, director general of the Primary Education directorate, said national assessments suggested that the country's children were weak in mathematics and lacked interest in studying science.

However, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman said he was hopeful that the implementation of this project would increase enthusiasm in children about learning maths.