A television show aimed at improving local pass rates for CSEC Maths is scheduled to premiere on State media next year.
The show will feature wide-ranging discussions with teachers, parents and students and will target fifth-formers preparing for exams.
This initiative is expected to improve on this year’s pass rate of the subject which was roughly one in four students, with one school having no passes.
“If we continue to do the same thing the same way then we continue then we will get the same results… We’re leaving no stone unturned to ensure that improvement comes in Maths,” Clare Browne, Director of Education said recently.
He said that a handful of expert math teachers have been identified to host the show which will likely cover 10 concepts each week.
In addition to the show, other efforts to increase the CSEC Maths pass rate have been ongoing.
One of these efforts included a session where over 100 Maths teachers and education officers convened at the John E St Luce Centre to share their experiences and discuss solutions on December 1.
“We’re having these conversations with stakeholders to just hear from them what they’re having as challenges. What they perceive the challenges to be,” the Education Director said.
Browne mentioned that similar meetings with principals, students and parents will take place in the future in the effort to identify challenges.
He added that existing initiatives – such as the math supplementary programme for fourth and fifth form students, and teacher workshops – will continue.
Meanwhile, local Maths tutor, Derrick Nicholas believes that the country’s below than regional average pass rate may be due to three main factors.
The first of the three is due to students not having sufficient exposure to all topics as some topics are rushed near exam time. The second results from lack of confidence to teach the topic.
“There are teachers in some other schools that they themselves are not comfortable with some topics and never teach those topics…The third point is that a lot of the parents are intimidated and they don’t know how to help their child or children at home,” he said.
Nicholas also shared advice for parents who are intimidated by certain topics in Maths.
“If [you] as a parent are not familiar with these topics, try to familiarize yourself with the topics so that you can help your child. If you can’t offer the assistance that your child so desperately needs, try and get assistance,” the Math tutor advised.
In addition, he urged parents to foster a close working relationship with their children’s teachers as it promotes accountability.