SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Timed maths tests for parents of sixth-grade students, a section on the subject at every Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) meeting, and a day dedicated to celebrating all that makes maths fun are among the innovative ways administrators at George’s Plain Primary School are ensuring that they keep students engaged and out of the clutches of “scammers”.

“Albert Einstein said if you continue to do the same thing all the while and expect different results then that’s insanity, and I agree with him. We got the second-highest scores in the island in 2015 and that’s because we tried a different strategy, because we were tired of failing. We had an early bird [class] starting at 7 o’clock in the morning. The community came in and participated, and so that’s how we got a major increase. Some people have a fear of mathematics, and we can’t have that, because we have maths everywhere. We use it daily and we want to eliminate the fear of mathematics by making it interesting,” said school principal, June Neil-Anderson.

She was speaking with the Jamaica Observer last Thursday, as the school grounds buzzed with activities to mark Mathematics Day. Signs with maths questions lined the path to the event area, where students and parent eagerly made their way among booths with activities that tested their skills.

“Last year it was the pandemic; national and regional averages went down. We increased by 12.02 per cent in our PEP (Primary Exit Profile) Grade 6 scores. Now this year we have a more rigorous approach. We have tried several strategies for a school improvement plan, and we have projected to have a 15 per cent increase, at least, for each year,” said a determined Neil-Anderson.

Part of the school’s drive to increase numeracy rates involves integrating parents into their activities. It is a move, the principal said, that not only helps students, but also parents to better support their children at home.

“We have Mr Mario Scott, he is in charge of the math committee, and so I told him for every PTA meeting we must have a section for mathematics, we are incorporating the family in it. We have monthly meetings with our grade six parents,” she said.

“It’s a parent and child assessment. Some of the parents have no idea what it looks like, but we talk about it. We gave them exercises to do, and I timed them; you can’t talk, only to your child. You can’t use a calculator, you can’t use your phone, you can’t even use a book back to look at your tables, but you and your child will work this test and you’re going to be timed. We want them to understand what encompasses an examination and, after three such encounters, the parents get a certificate,” Nile-Anderson added.

She said, as educators, they are determined to go the extra mile so the children will benefit in the long run.

“There’s no point giving up. Some of the classes, we are bursting at our seams. Sometimes teachers will look at me and say, ‘But, Miss, we can’t take anymore.’ I say, ‘I understand, but if we don’t take them, scammers and gang leaders will take them, and so we can’t afford that.’ Whatever help we can give outside the scope of our regular teaching and learning are things that we are employing to help our children,” she explained.

Other primary schools such as Little London, Ferris, and Peggy Barry were also included in George’s Plain’s activities on Wednesday. Nile-Anderson said this, too, was an integral part of building the community.

“We believe we are in a community, and once we can share with others, we do that. We don’t operate like an island. We have the mathematics coach from the Ministry of Education for this region. He has come in before to interact with the teachers and where we are with the teaching of mathematics and how we can better help our children,” she said.

Vennesha Rowe-Ricketts, a grade six teacher at Peggy Barry Primary School, said Mathematics Day was a welcome move, and something she hopes she can see more of.

“I think it’s a good initiative. Seeing that the students were out for so long I think this will give them a head start in mathematics concepts. I think it can be replicated because seeing that George’s Plain started it and invite other schools, other schools can do it and invite other schools as well. We have to work as a family because what affects one child it can affect everybody,” she told the Observer.

Akiel Whyte, one of the Ministry of Education’s mathematics coaches in region four, said although there was an initial fear of the subject, students are now becoming open to the idea of maths. He credits that to events such as Mathematics Day.

“There are students who believe that they are not born to do math, so being here showing math in a myriad of ways and the applicability to everyday life, I think it’s really important that they get to understand and appreciate mathematics. They are happy for today and they are becoming more receptive to mathematics,” Whyte said.

Parents like Kelly Graham, who came out to show support, lauded the school for its positive spin on mathematics.

“I like the activities today. I like how they’re making math interesting and interactive to show the children that they don’t have to be afraid of math. It’s a good initiative,” she said.