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Lithuanian students pass all exams well except one: mathematics. The maturity test results released today show 15,241 candidates took the state maturity test for math. Exam pass limit: 15 percent. of 100 or 9 points of 60 task points. 67.61 percent passed the exam. candidates (in 2019 – 82.09% of candidates). One hundred points received a score of 0.96 percent. candidates (1.46% in 2019).
Future plans are falling dramatically
Gintaras Sarafinas, editor-in-chief of “Reitingai” magazine, was surprised that for many years in a row the results were deteriorating, and this year, quite terrible. “The survivors’ results are also not admirable. It is said to be sad, unpleasant, but it is about human destinies. Had they passed, they probably would have entered the dream profession, receiving a free state funded study place. Plans for the future are falling drastically, “he looked more deeply.
Professor of Mathematics at Vilnius University (VU). Rimas Norvaiša, searching for an answer to the question why mathematical knowledge is declining at the high school level, said that there are many reasons for this. Essential: approach to mathematics and teacher training.
“Difficulties with math occur for a child who is already in the fifth grade. The child is faced with abstract subjects, with fractions, in the transition from primary to secondary education. So conventional training with examples is not enough. Mathematics is a specific subject. To understand it, it is necessary to know the connections between various mathematical objects ”, said the scientist.
It is believed that a child learns best if he finds the facts for himself. However, according to R. Norvaiša, for this to happen in mathematics, the facts must be elementary. Could you come up with a Pythagorean theorem yourself? Inevitably, it will affect the news if we take that position, “he said.
Fear discourages math
The math test homework has three parts: the first 10 simple tasks with one point each.
“After completing these simple tasks, you should keep it. The results show that it does not keep even the simple ones. The only justification and explanation is that children are afraid of mathematics. And fear arises when they no longer understand it. This is it owes again to the methods of education and to the approach of mathematics and knowledge in general ”, he pointed out again.
Individualized training is presented today as a panacea. However, according to R. Norvaiša, the approach of teaching with attention to the child’s abilities has long been used among good teachers.
The teacher emphasized that there should be a separate math teacher in the elementary classes.
“It just came to our knowledge then. Our elementary teachers are general teachers who do not pay attention to mathematics, especially today when we are fascinated by technology,” said R. Norvaiša, adding that the problems are systemic, they are known .
According to the teacher, mathematics and the Lithuanian language are not simple things: they form a person’s education from the first to the twelfth grade. “We pay more attention to language and math is still not getting as much attention as it should. I teach first-year students, I see that the level of mathematics education is constantly falling, ”said R. Norvaiša.
You have to take responsibility, not hold your hands
Education expert and consultant prof. Vilija Targamadze agreed with the opinion expressed by the listener, who blamed the employees for the situation. Created by agencies, agencies, no one is irresponsible for the low level of knowledge of students?
“It just came to our knowledge then. Even the achievement test in mathematics will not stand, it passed only 30 percent. Already at that time it was necessary to look, do analysis, explain why this is the case,” said V. Targamadze .
According to the professor, the National Education Agency (NSA) should take responsibility. “The bureaucratic system does not take responsibility. Talking to mathematicians, they noticed that the task creators did not pay attention to the fact that there are students who studied at level A or B. Also, there were errors in the task, therefore there are to take responsibility, not hold hands, “he said.
There are still opinions that no one needs knowledge of mathematics today, but the teacher does not agree with that, this discipline, according to her, as an opportunity to develop logical thinking.
The exam passing poster is impressive: out of 60 homework points, it was only necessary to get a score of 9. And there were not that many graduates yet. According to the professor, this says a lot. V. Targamadze is convinced that systemic changes are needed. However, she does not see any serious steps.
Gaps come back with a bang
Sara Aškinytė, president of the Lithuanian Student Union, was open about the discipline of mathematics: when she leaves a gap, she returns with a bigger bang.
S. Aškinytė has no doubts either: mathematics develops a logical and strategic understanding. “Now the programs are being updated, the mathematics too, maybe there will be some changes,” he hoped.
When asked what should be done to make mathematics attractive to students, S. Aškinytė said that
the problem is much deeper than it seems. Still, teachers will have an important role to play here.
“Mathematics is one of the most difficult sciences, not for everyone, so it should not be the main discipline. There are people who love the arts, literature, other sciences. It is important that teachers and parents can be interested in math, not write it down, ”said the student representative.
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