What Is The Root Of Student Failure? Is Success Just Pi In The Sky?

To be successful in Mathematics students need a thorough understanding of basic concepts. Without these concepts being mastered there will be no future success. In summary the shortcomings in teaching Mathematics in Tanzania are a result of: 1) A lack of understanding of how children learn, especially in the early years. 2) A lack of understanding of the need for a practical interactive approach to learning rather than copying from the board and learning by rote. 3) Lack of quality teaching books to guide and support the teachers in sound methods, and subject-content. The basis for any learning is to learn from practical experience ('concrete' learning with real objects and situations) and a foundation in Mathematics in Pre-Primary, Standard 1 and Standard 2 is critical for future learning.

Mastery of addition underpins all success in mathematics, and a strong grounding in the foundational concepts is the basis for Algebra. With basic concepts embedded, later mathematics is possible for everyone.

The article outlines the deficiencies in the syllabus, the problems with the existing textbooks and what can be done about it for children to succeed.