New maths textbooks for state primary schools |15 May 2015

Pupils from primary three to six in all state schools will this term benefit from new mathematics textbooks entitled Cracking Maths sponsored by the Children’s Fund.

In a ceremony at the Pointe Larue primary school on Tuesday afternoon head teacher Anne-Marie Servina accepted a batch of the textbooks as well as teachers’ handbooks on behalf of all primary schools from the manager of the Children’s Fund Doreen Monthy.

This was in the presence of Education Minister Macsuzy Mondon as well as key officials from the same ministry, teachers and pupils.

Cracking Maths is a series of very colourfully illustrated textbooks for different primary levels and it places emphasis on problem solving.

Pointe Larue school’s math coordinator Anne Jeremie said the textbooks are more colourful and more complete and interesting compared to the ones that were being used.

“All pupils and teachers as well can easily see and associate themselves with the books,” said Mrs Jeremie who added that these new textbooks and teachers’ handbooks will no doubt contribute to the continued progress of pupils’ understanding of the subject.
The consignment of books has cost some R850,000.

The Cracking Maths textbooks were first introduced here last year by Brian O’Doherty, principal of St Patrick’s Loreto private primary school in Ireland, and he also ran a half-day introductory workshop.

Mr O’Doherty told the media that “it takes time to get results, but nothing can substitute from good teaching. A Maths book is just a tool; it can help a teacher and the instructional framework. So if the teachers are asking the right questions and are getting the students to think and speak mathematically this book will help.”

He also noted that “Maths is like a language and very often we think children aren’t able to use that language, so we use different words. Why do we teach them different words when we could teach them the right words? Maths is very specific and sometimes teachers are scared of teaching Maths. Like in Seychelles, primary school teachers in Ireland teach all the subjects and sometimes Maths is the one they feel least confident about because they’ve struggled with it themselves when they were in school. And then they think how am I going to teach this subject properly when I don’t really understand it?”

The presentation of the textbooks series also forms part of the Education Ministry’s Medium Term Strategy 2013-2017 to improve numeracy skills and competencies at primary level. Furthermore, it   corresponds to the ministry’s goal which is providing adequate teaching and learning materials for schools.