Lagos — The fear of Mathematics, for many, is not the beginning of wisdom or is it? Some experts meet in Lagos at the weekend to deliberate on this question and proffer answers to it.

At all levels of education, the population of those who dread Mathematics and Science subjects outnumber those who love the subjects. To some, the fear of mathematics is the "beginning of wisdom."

As dreadful as Mathemathics and Science subjects are to some people, few still derive pleasure from them. They can forefeit their time for merry-making to solve an equation or tackle a stubborn theorem.

If Mathematics had not been made compulsory by the government, irrespective of the course of study in higher institutions, many would have avoided it like a plague.

But what is wrong with the subject or even the students? Is it the scheme, the textbooks, methodology of teaching, the Nigerian environment or what? These were some of the questions for which answers were sought at the maiden edition of the Science Week of the Salvation International Nursery and Primary School (SIS), held in Lagos at the weekend.

With the theme 'Making Mathematics and Science More Friendly to the Pupils,' the workshop was attended by experts in education administration from higher institutions, members of the Mathematics Teachers Association (MAN), Nigeria Dyslexia Association.

Speaking on the theme, Dr. (Mrs) Temi Busari of the Faculty of Education, Department of Science Education, University of Lagos (UNILAG) advised that teaching of Mathematics and Science subjects must be from primary school.

According to her, the reasons pupils dread Mathe-matics and Science include learning disability, poor learning strategies, inability to develop the pupils' inquiry skills by parents and ineffective teaching.

Others, she said, include too much emphasis on curriculum content, examination and textbooks. Overburdened national curriculum and engendering of negative attitudes towards Mathematics and Science.

Explaining further, Busari said poor science culture in schools, too much distance between the science teacher and the pupils, peer attitudes and perceived difficulties among others are reasons for lack of interest in the subjects.

Since the burden cannot be borne by teachers alone, parents were advised to join in the efforts at making Mathematics and Science more friendly to the pupils. She enjoined publishers to provide reading materials based on general curriculum for all pupils irrespective of contexts, background and needs.

To arouse pupils interest, she further stressed, they must be motivated and taught learning strategies and life skills. Emphasis should also be placed on action research, promotion of meta-cognitive environment and Information Communication Technology (ICT).

While praising teachers for their efforts, she said they must be well remunerated for effective and better performance.

Principal, Badagry Senior Grammar School, Lagos, Mr. Moronfolu Ojutiku described Mathematics as the accepted language of science and the means of communication in the technological world.

According to him, the world is moving fast and we must catch up with the train, hence the need to correct the perception and apathy towards Mathematics and Science.

"This will remove the jinx affecting our development and we shall be reckoned with in the comity of developed and industrialised nations of the world," he said.

To make the subjects more interesting to the pupils, Ojutiku said teachers should be prepared to explain the content of the subject matter through experiments, demonstrations and models, adding that they must be creative, innovative and inspiring.

When teachers are warm, flexible and gentle disciplinarians, Ojutiku observed, students respond with more expression of feeling, open participation in the classroom and independence.

He added that they must provide answers to questions asked, while pointing out that Mathematics and Science should be taught with audio-visual aids, required apparatus for the pupils and exposure through excursion to industrial concerns to aid learning.

While advising the pupils to be diligent, determined, dedicated and desire good results, Ojutiku enjoined parents to continue to provide for their children, as well as impact positive values on them.

He also charged them to promote good health and cultivate cordial relationship among everybody in the school, saying it was a wise mother who asked her young son after schoo not "what did you learn today?", but "what questions did you ask today?"

To ensure good performance, Ojutiku said school should create a good rewarding system that would encourage and motivate the teachers and pupils to greater heights, saying this will encourage merit and hard work.

Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okafor of the Department of Science Education, Federal College of Education Technical), Lagos said the theme of the seminar was a topical issue that should be of interest to those who believe in the future of children and who share in the faith that they can still be salvaged from their present dread of Science and Mathematics.

Okafor said the changing trend in science globally and the need for Mathematics call for an aggressive encouragement of children not to dread the subjects but be friendly with it.

Okafor said as emphatic as promotion of Mathematics and Science education at grass root is stated in the new National Policy on Education (1998) through the launching of "Catch Them Young", pupils still dread the subjects because to some of them, Science and Mathematics are unreal, vague, uninspiring and meaningless to the real life situation.

For the aims and objectives of the policy to be realised, Mrs. Okafor said it was imperative to lay a firm foundation of Science and Mathematics at the primary school level.

"Today we live in a world dominated by Science, Technology and Mathematics without which, development in other sectors of the economy is bound to be difficult positively or negatively.... It is very instructive that children should be more prepared for such a world which may even become more exciting, challenging and explosive in the near future," she said.

For the Nigerian child not to dread Science and Mathematics, Okafor stressed, he or she should understand more about his or her environment. Science should be culturally based, while the teaching and learning should be on prior knowledge of children and their environment.

"Since Science and Mathematics are integral part of man's daily activities, children should be given the opportunity to experience science and mathematics by doing, seeing, touching, tasting and smelling," she said.

She added that parents, Headteachers and teachers must play specific roles in assisting pupils to develop a more favourable attitude towards the subjects.

While lamenting that our education system contributes a lot to the fear of Science and Mathematics, as more emphasis is placed on certificate rather than acquisition of knowledge, Okafor also said it was sad to note that the curriculum which has been in place for over seven years is yet to be revised.

To ensure that children develop much interest in science and mathematics and not otherwise, she said the curricula being taught must to be relevant to the needs and aspirations of the learners.

Headteacher, Salvation International Nursery and Primary School, Mrs. Ifueko Thomas said in her welcome address that there was a desperate need for everyone to get involved in the development of pupils.

She said having discovered that the interest in Mathematics and Science subjects is going down because of the way pupils are been taught, the school had to seek expert advice on the way forward.

"My experience on the subjects when I was in secondary school prompted the decision to see how the fear of the subjects can be reduced.

Lamenting the deplorable conditions in public schools, Thomas called on government, policy makers, parents, teachers, corporate organisations to assist children in these schools get better education.

She said her school has been assisting Temidire Primary School and Local Government Primary School, both in Shogunle, Osodi, Lagos by providing them with instructional and teaching materials.