[ 2021-03-15 ]

Prof Allotey’s 9 Aug birthday must be made National Maths Day – Prince Armah
The Kwesimintsim MP is proposing that August 9,
the birthday of the late Professor Allotey should
be celebrated as National Mathematics Day.

Dr Prince Armah made the proposal in a feature to
mark the International Day of Mathematics, which
falls on 14th March every year.

He believes that were Ghana to do that, it would
encourage young Ghanaians to take up the challenge
of mathematics, which would have positive impact
on the nation’s development effort.

Dr Armah argued that mathematics is central to the
country’s development objectives and deserves
greater attention than it is getting, adding it is
utilised in all aspects of life, and not just for
professions such as engineering and science.



“When we think of professions that rely on the
subject, we tend to think of engineers and
scientists. But mathematics is useful to a lot
more of us. The seamstress cannot cut her patterns
without mathematical concepts such as measurement.
The fishmonger cannot sell his produce without
mathematical concept of arithmetic.


“At home, we could not serve our potions of food
if we didn’t employ mathematics. In politics, we
could not determine the winner of an election, or
which side in parliament is the majority without
mathematics,” he explains.

Dr Armah says there are long standing problems
with teaching, learning and assessment of the
subject, which have made the subject unattractive
to students. These, he says, can be resolved with
greater investment into the discipline.

The former Director-General of the National
Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) also
recounted some steps that government is taking to
improve teaching and learning of mathematics in
the country.

According to him, “through the Science,
Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics
Centres, the national numeracy programme in
collaboration with Matific and other
technology-based initiatives such as iBox, the
Ministry of Education is working to make the study
of mathematics more fun and attractive to
students.

“In addition, the Mathematics and Science for
Sub-Sahara programme by the World Bank, which
Ghana has signed on to, will help improve
teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogical
practices and the use of teaching and learning
materials to boost children’s understanding of
mathematical concepts.”

He also credited the new educational curriculum
with the capacity to address issues with
instruction, which has led to a situation where
young Ghanaians are able to undertake computations
but struggle when they have to apply mathematical
concepts to problem solving and everyday
situations.

Dr Armah is convinced that celebrating the
achievements of the late Professor Francis Kofi
Ampenyin Allotey, the first Ghanaian to become a
full professor in mathematics and the person
responsible for the “Allottey Formalism” will
encourage more young Ghanaians to reach for
excellence in the study of mathematics and other
disciplines.

Source - Joyfm

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