To apprise students about the importance of mathematics and its real-life applications and to inculcate in them an interest towards the subject’s essence at school level, the University of Kashmir (KU), organised its 2nd phase of awareness-cum-outreach programme for students of district Budgam.
Kashmir region has witnessed an unprecedented decline in student enrollment in Mathematics after qualifying 10th class due to various reasons, the programme is part of the varsity’s ongoing school outreach campaign for the popularisation of mathematics at the high/higher secondary level aiming to improve the enrollment of students in mathematics in higher education.
Organised by KU’s Department of Mathematics in collaboration with Kashmir Mathematical Society (KMS), JK Science Technology and Innovation Council (JKSTIC), District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) Beerwah and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Kashmir, the programme was held at DIET Beerwah in which over 150 student/teacher participants from various high/higher secondary schools of the district attended.
On the occasion, Dean, Academic Affairs, KU Prof Shariefuddin Pirzada, extensively discussed the relevance of these programmes and deliberated on the importance of the subject in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary aspects.
“We need to organise these outreach activities in different regions of Kashmir province and KU will support this endeavour at all levels,” he said.
Outlining the objectives of the programme and discussing the career opportunities in the subject, Head, Department of Mathematics, KU, Prof Mukhtar A Khanday and Programme Convener, highlighted the role of teachers, students, parents and policymakers in eradicating the fear of mathematics.
“Teachers should develop student-centric classroom environment and engage students in discussions and focus on technology-based teaching-learning pedagogy,” Prof Khanday said.
He further said that policymakers can help the nation by adopting the model of developed countries for the overall growth of the subject and that “there is no doubt that good mathematicians can lead the nation in economy, technology and other emerging fields”.
“It is essential to recruit adequate subject-specialised teachers for the growth of mathematics at elementary, secondary and senior secondary school level,” he reiterated.
Incharge Principal, DIET Beerwah, Fayaz Ahmad and various speakers including Gulzar A Dar from SCERT; Senior Lecturer, Mathematics, Arshad Hassan; Teacher, Beerwah zone, Bashir Ahmad Sheikh; Teacher, Sonawari, Bandipora zone, Syed Munawar; and Teacher, Budgam zone, Aijaz Ahmad, reflected on various aspects of mathematics education and current grassroots problems in the subject.
Co-Convener of the Programme, Prof M A Mir, deliberated on the applications and remedies for “fear of mathematics” in school system.