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InIn recent times, the Federal Ministry of Education has introduced several daring changes to the education system in Nigeria.

The recent development states that students in Nigerian senior secondary schools studying arts and humanities will no longer need to achieve a credit in Mathematics for their Senior School Certificate Examination, conducted by the West African Examination Council and the National Examination Council, as a requirement for university and polytechnic admission.

As stated by the ministry, the reform is a calculated effort to increase access to higher education, providing chances for an extra 300,000 students to enroll in our higher education institutions annually.

Mathematics has often posed a challenge for numerous art students, as many who struggled with math have found themselves unable to pursue higher education, despite the fact that the courses they wish to enter seem to have minimal connection to mathematics. This is the claim.

Several assumptions about this argument need to be highlighted here. Before addressing these, I want to clarify a point of ambiguity. Above all, successfully completing Mathematics has been a requirement for entering the university for most programs, including those in the arts.

A requirement is a condition that needs to be met prior to proceeding with another action. This condition is established with a productive purpose, which should be the main focus before changing the objective to reduce the significance of Mathematics for art students.

Indeed, making Mathematics optional for admission purposes is diminishing its significance in the eyes of students, who will likely view it similarly to Civic Education—a required subject that is not mandatory for entry. This is where the underlying assumptions come into play, suggesting that reducing the emphasis on Mathematics will free up more time for art students to focus on other subjects they consider more vital.

The principle of active learning contradicts this approach. Avoiding key elements of a subject or areas of study only limits overall learning potential, and involvement and participation in the learning process do not automatically improve. Comprehensive learning during developmental stages aids in establishing links between various subjects and fields.

What link might exist between Mathematics and Literature or Government? How could Mathematics be relevant for someone pursuing the study of the English Language or Law? This is the question many who support this policy are raising, and it reflects another assumption—that Mathematics has no relevance to the academic development of students studying the Arts.

This assumption seems somewhat misplaced since Mathematics is a comprehensive system of knowledge designed to address real-life challenges. Failing to fully utilize the basic understanding of numbers and data, along with their interpretation, analysis, and practical use, makes one a less prepared student or professional, regardless of their area of study or profession.

Which group of attorneys or reporters do we aim to create if they are unable to analyze data to uncover insights, extract facts, and generate forecasts to support their roles? What kind of English language graduates do we wish to develop who are discarding the vocabulary of Mathematics and mathematical terminology along with its related forms?

Even a seamstress who alters garments relies on Mathematics, especially in today’s era of precise measurements. Mathematics plays a significant role in the present and even more so in the future. The appropriate time to place Math in the background would have been in the past, not now.

The truth is that Mathematics serves as a link for art students to grasp fundamental and essential concepts in science and social studies, while the English Language acts as a bridge for science students to understand basic ideas in the humanities. Why aren’t we discussing making the English Language optional for science students to enter? Because it does not benefit them.

In a similar manner, undermining the mathematical link for art students will also not benefit them. They will not become well-rounded individuals as they should be, both as learners and future professionals.

‘No bridge is being destroyed here,’ as stated by the argument backing the Ministry of Education’s new policy. The ministry has clarified that the policy does not eliminate Mathematics for art students, and the subject remains mandatory for them.

However, there is another assumption that students will take Mathematics seriously if it does not affect their academic advancement. I interact with today’s students frequently as I manage various programs for them. I can genuinely observe that most students in our current environment accumulate academic tasks until exam time before they start to study and pass, as the culture of consistent learning is weak here.

That is the minor issue. The more significant challenge, particularly in Mathematics, is that many current students suffer from a fear of the subject, so intense that they tend to avoid it if they believe there will be no consequences for receiving an F9 in the class. This withdrawal usually begins in SSS1 for most students, even though it is still one of the subjects they study in school.

Withdrawal from mathematics, referred to as this educational disengagement, suggests restricted academic progress and a loss of competitive edge. If mathematics is perceived as essential, it will likely be abandoned by many art students, leaving them academically at a disadvantage. Why? They would not have developed a foundational understanding of number theory, geometry, algebra, statistics, and similar areas before mentally disconnecting from the subject.

They would not have been completely developed for the world of numbers, symbols, and measurements before ceasing to engage with the topic that provides them with this. This is the truth. The new policy introduced by the government, if carried out in this manner, is equivalent to a further retreat from Mathematics.

Many art students genuinely require the resurgence of the subject, rather than its retreat or rejection. Most of them have maintained a steep perception that Mathematics is a challenging discipline. And this belief is the root of all others, as Mathematics is not actually that difficult. I have demonstrated, both as a student and a teacher, that Mathematics is not so tough to master.

I was a science student who transitioned into the field of Art through Architecture, which I studied at university, and my current work as an educator leans more towards art than science. In the 1991 SSCE, I achieved an A2 in Mathematics, which is equivalent to a B2 now, and I wasn’t pleased with that result because I had hoped for an A1. I really enjoyed Mathematics.

The next year, I became a tutor in my community, helping my friends who had not passed the exam the previous year.

I taught them Mathematics, and can you believe it, most of them passed on their second try. Throughout my path to becoming an effective teacher, where a strong understanding of Math was essential, I have worked with various students who previously had difficulty with Math, assisting them in preparing for the Math O-level exam. Almost all of these students managed to overcome the Math challenge by achieving at least a credit in the subject.

I haven’t only demonstrated it through individual students, but also with groups. For several years, my organization has been conducting the SSCE Project, an online exam preparation program for SSS3 students in public and private schools across Lagos and other states, motivating and teaching them about various topics in different subjects.

I instruct students in both the English Language and Mathematics through the SSCE Project platform, and I have consistently helped alleviate their anxiety towards Mathematics. I then share my understanding of the subject through concepts, making it clear to students that Mathematics essentially involves two elements: logic and process.

The flipped classroom approach combined with the one-for-all evaluation strategy, featuring well-explained content and a focus on essential learning concepts, helps students become more comfortable with math and encourages them to try solving problems independently, something many had previously avoided.

The SSCE Project has yielded impressive results, with notable testimonials recorded even from Art students. After engaging with this exam preparation platform for a few weeks or months, students gain clarity and start to approach Maths with renewed enthusiasm.

One mentioned, I used to ignore Mathematics because I strongly disliked arithmetic, but thanks to the lessons taught by Mr Omisore, I became very good at Math. Another person wrote, ‘Personally, I had trouble with mental laziness and being inconsistent, especially with calculation-based subjects like Math. However, the SSCE Project’s organized method helped me stay concentrated and work on my shortcomings.’

Another person wrote this testimonial: “I was always a timid cat when it came to Math, but Mr Omisore helped me come out of my shell and sparked my desire to delve into the complexities of Math.” Here is another one from another Art student: “I used to say Mathematics was very challenging, but I took back my words after getting to know Mr MD Omisore.”

Then another one: ‘I was inspired by the fact that my instructor on the platform is a mathematician. You helped me conquer my fear of Mathematics.’

These are their precise words, untouched, all of them being art students. And there are numerous others. My argument is, why are we assigning Math to art students when we could raise the subject for their benefit? Why are we allowing general Mathematics decline to the students’ detriment when we could encourage a Mathematics resurgence for their benefit?

It is simple and practical to remain in an office and impose a policy across the entire system and population, yet the true effort lies in going to the field to identify the actual challenges related to students’ negative attitudes toward learning, and developing a solution that serves the students’ best interests, thus maintaining educational standards.

What actions has the government taken to improve the teaching of Mathematics at the primary school level? What new approaches and programs are currently being implemented to support Mathematics educators? Which instructional strategies and techniques are being introduced, and what is the ministry doing to monitor these efforts?

If the Ministry of Education is implementing a policy that makes Mathematics non-compulsory for university admission in order to boost the number of Art students getting accepted, which could generally lead to a decline in students’ interest and involvement with the subject during secondary school, is the ministry also taking into account that many Art students might end up pursuing Social Sciences courses that are more math-oriented?

Perhaps their number will not reach the 300,000 envisioned as extra students admitted each year, but the number of individuals who will never be accepted into a higher education institution will be significantly greater, I mean those who will pursue careers in tailoring, carpentry, masonry, and similar fields that require measurement and spatial thinking, along with other trades that have some link to Mathematics. Without a solid understanding of the concepts of English Language and Mathematics, the two subjects I teach, how will they be able to stand out from others in the same trade who never attended school?

I propose that the advantages and disadvantages of this policy must be thoroughly reviewed, and assumptions should not take precedence over actual facts.

Omisore is a teacher and writer, and he communicates through via mdomisore@gmail.com

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