adminIt is very common to find pupils giving up on these two subjects early in their academic lives as they are viewed as “difficult” and not needed in everyday life.
Some pupils have the notion that even if they fail Mathematics and Science they would still find their way to teachers’ colleges and universities to do humanities.
However, the situation has changed on the ground, as a majority of institutions including teachers’ colleges are demanding Mathematics as a pre-requisite for enrolment.
The move has been greeted with an outcry from many quarters as some feel it is an unfair decision.
It is widely believed that those who give up on Maths and Science are girls.
In our today’s edition we carry a story quoting the founding Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Science and Technology, Professor Phineas Makhurane urging girls to cast off the phobia for Mathematics.
Prof Makhurane, an accomplished academic in sciences, was speaking during the speech and prize-giving day at Usher Girls’ High in Figtree on Friday.
“I know girls have the phobia for Mathematics. I want to advise you that there is nothing to fear, Mathematics and Science, like any other subject, are passable. These subjects are some of the basic requirements for most of the universities and colleges in this country. It is therefore very important that you put maximum effort in your school work and achieve,” said Prof Makhurane.
We find Prof Makhurane’s words very accurate as over the years students from schools in Matabeleland have failed to secure places at local tertiary institutions such as Nust and the Bulawayo Polytechnic, all because they did not have Mathematics and Science.
While Prof Makhurane’s address was directed at the pupils, we feel the parents should also play a role in ensuring that their children do well in those “contentious” subjects by giving them words of encouragement and buying learning material. They should not leave everything to teachers.
On the other hand, schools should have deliberate programmes of drilling the pupils in the two subjects and explaining their importance.
We are not amused that every year when it is time for enrolment at Nust and other institutions, locals have someone to blame for their children’s failure to get places.
Nust, like the University of Zimbabwe, is a national institution, which should accommodate anyone regardless of the geographical location of his or her village. The sooner the people of this region understand this the better.
What people from this region need to do is to take seriously the views of people like Prof Makhurane.
However, the Government should also play a role by ensuring that more Maths and Science teachers are trained.
In some instances, classrooms are manned by untrained teachers while some schools have been hit by shortages of teachers in Maths and Science.
Online Reporter