Japan offers support to maths teachers
Workshop aimed at finding solutions
Teachers who participated in a workshop hosted by Japan complained that government textbooks are often riddled with mistakes.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) hosted a mathematics workshop for Namibian maths teachers and school principals last week with a focus on improving the quality of teaching in Namibia.
The workshop, titled ‘Improvement of Management of Problems and Development of Solutions Based on PCM Method’, highlighted challenges faced by maths teachers in Namibia.
Teachers participating in the workshop raised several concerns, noting that problems related to the interpretation of the syllabus are a challenge for some teachers, as well as a shortage of learning aids and resources to aid teachers.
“We felt like bringing in the JICA volunteers to moderate our circuit-based exams to standardise the subject. Yes, mathematics is a problem. I think there are some schools in the Omaruru circuit where learners got zero. It is true that we should deliberate more on how we should improve mathematics," a teacher said.
Problems discussed
According to some teachers, government textbooks are often riddled with mistakes and some teachers are not experienced enough to detect the mistakes.
There is also a concern that the training for novice teachers lacks thoroughness, resulting in dull and prolonged maths classes, with students at risk of either falling asleep or failing to fully grasp the content.
“We also have teachers that come from some colleges that offer questionable courses of study and this produces teachers who are hazardous to the delivery of quality education, and then they are teaching the wrong content, ” another workshop participant said.
Digital age
Dordabis Primary School principal Ronellie Guriras, during a presentation at the workshop, said: “The challenges teachers mentioned about the curriculum [included] that when they receive mathematics examination papers in primary education, they are not really up to standard. Then there are the mistakes in textbooks and the overcrowded classrooms.”
She added: “My advice is that we live in the digital age, so a teacher should not be textbook-based; take a topic from the textbook and use the internet, and also open up your classroom so other teachers can learn from me and I can learn from them.”
The day concluded with a focus on individual action plans, expertly guided by project formulation advisor Kunihiro Butsuen.
Edda Bohn, the education ministry's deputy executive director, has urged teachers to inform the ministry when they encounter mistakes and underlined the ministry's commitment to quality education.
“The highest academics are involved. The [ministry] has quality assurance processes in place. So if wrong content goes out, as a collective, we will institute corrective action. I hereby invite written correspondence on the referred-to errors in textbooks for further action,” she said.
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The workshop, titled ‘Improvement of Management of Problems and Development of Solutions Based on PCM Method’, highlighted challenges faced by maths teachers in Namibia.
Teachers participating in the workshop raised several concerns, noting that problems related to the interpretation of the syllabus are a challenge for some teachers, as well as a shortage of learning aids and resources to aid teachers.
“We felt like bringing in the JICA volunteers to moderate our circuit-based exams to standardise the subject. Yes, mathematics is a problem. I think there are some schools in the Omaruru circuit where learners got zero. It is true that we should deliberate more on how we should improve mathematics," a teacher said.
Problems discussed
According to some teachers, government textbooks are often riddled with mistakes and some teachers are not experienced enough to detect the mistakes.
There is also a concern that the training for novice teachers lacks thoroughness, resulting in dull and prolonged maths classes, with students at risk of either falling asleep or failing to fully grasp the content.
“We also have teachers that come from some colleges that offer questionable courses of study and this produces teachers who are hazardous to the delivery of quality education, and then they are teaching the wrong content, ” another workshop participant said.
Digital age
Dordabis Primary School principal Ronellie Guriras, during a presentation at the workshop, said: “The challenges teachers mentioned about the curriculum [included] that when they receive mathematics examination papers in primary education, they are not really up to standard. Then there are the mistakes in textbooks and the overcrowded classrooms.”
She added: “My advice is that we live in the digital age, so a teacher should not be textbook-based; take a topic from the textbook and use the internet, and also open up your classroom so other teachers can learn from me and I can learn from them.”
The day concluded with a focus on individual action plans, expertly guided by project formulation advisor Kunihiro Butsuen.
Edda Bohn, the education ministry's deputy executive director, has urged teachers to inform the ministry when they encounter mistakes and underlined the ministry's commitment to quality education.
“The highest academics are involved. The [ministry] has quality assurance processes in place. So if wrong content goes out, as a collective, we will institute corrective action. I hereby invite written correspondence on the referred-to errors in textbooks for further action,” she said.
[email protected]
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