KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Education says students cannot improve their learning and understanding of mathematics unless teachers are able to adequately impart mathematical knowledge to them.

In a press release today, the ministry said that this was the key sentiment echoed throughout a recent seminar on the Singapore method of teaching mathematics.

More than 150 school leaders and teachers from primary and secondary schools, along with mathematics specialists and education officers, attended the two-day seminar, which was hosted by LMH Publishing Limited and Singaporean publisher Marshall Cavendish Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.  

The seminar was presented by representatives of the National Institute of Education, the sole teacher-training institute under the Ministry of Education in Singapore, which is a world leader in the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Key presenters Bee Huay See and Dr Dennis Kwek covered topics surrounding the teaching and administration of mathematics. Dr Kwek presented on what the mathematical landscape was like in Singapore, the country’s aim for 2020 and the challenges faced in enacting the Primary Mathematics Curriculum.

Bee Huay See focused on using assessment to make differentiated instruction and teaching skills to improve visualisation and problem-solving such as designing parallel tasks, simpler shapes and designing rich tasks.

The final presenter, Dr Adrian Mandara – a Jamaican educator and author – implored the teachers to go out and make a difference by first changing the way they approach mathematics.

Participants committed to returning to their schools and assessing the way they now operate and plan to discuss ways to make it better.

Lena Buckle-Scott, deputy chief education officer, said the Ministry of Education was extremely grateful to LMH Publishing Limited and Marshall Cavendish Education for their help in improving the learning of mathematics, through the staging of this seminar.

“It was extremely timely,” said Buckle-Scott. “We welcome this intervention… and the aim in partnership is to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics.”