'Change approach to teaching mathematics' (pg 47)

A renowned physicist, Prof. Francis Allotey, has urged mathematics teachers to change their approach to teaching the subject in order to make it more appealing to students.
According to him, "although mathematics is not a difficult subject, the teaching methodology frightens students and create the notion that the subject is difficult".
Prof. Allotey said when teachers of mathematics made the subject interesting, “we would be able to produce great thinkers who would contribute their quota to nation building".
He was speaking to the Daily Graphic after the launch of the Founders’ Day celebration of the Ghana National College (GNC) as part of activities marking the centenary celebrations of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The GNC was the first school established by Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1948 to absorb teachers and students who were dismissed from secondary schools in Cape Coast for participating in the 1948 riots.
Programmes lined up for the week-long celebration sponsored by the Dr Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Celebration Planning Committee, include a health walk, a float through some principal streets of Cape Coast, a Symposium, Founder's Day Awards/Dinner Dance that would be crowned by a Thanksgiving Service to be held at the school on Sunday, February 28, 2010.
Prof. Allotey, who is also a pioneer student of the school, said his love for mathematics and all science-related subjects was borne out of the dedication, passion and interest with which his teachers taught the subjects while he was in school.
He urged young people who would want to go into the sciences to discard perceptions that the sciences were difficult.
"That perception should not stop them from pursuing their dreams because with scientific innovations, you can help solve problems confronting our society and change things for the better."
He paid glowing tribute to Dr Nkrumah for his vision which, he said, had impacted positively on several lives, saying "we are products of his vision".
"Try to be creative and do not be disappointed when things do not go according to the way you planned them because such disappointments are meant to build you up. You must see challenges that confront you as opportunities waiting to be exploited," Prof. Allotey stated.
The President of the Ghana National College Old Students Association (Nananom), Mr Ben Odai, said the school had to celebrate Dr Nkrumah because he was a cornerstone for the development of not only the school but education in Ghana.
Speaking with the Daily Graphic, the Headmaster of the school, Mr John Koomson-Barnes, noted the deplorable infrastructure in the school.
He said even though the government was working on some projects in the school, a lot more needed to be done as most of the school infrastructure was put up in the 1950s, adding that the state of infrastructure in the school was affecting academic work.

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