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A senior lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW),Professor Samuel Ziga, has highlighted on the menace at which students fail in WASSCE examinations every year and how WAEC is no longer setting “raw maths” questions.
Following a report of a provisional result showing how poorly students have performed in Core Mathematics and English Language in 2018 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as compared to 2017.
Speaking to Pink FM, Professor Samuel Ziga stated some reasons why students fail in exams. One being that, students have rated Core Maths as a very difficult and scary subject and authorities have also made Maths look like a monster to students.
According to Prof. Ziga, WAEC is no longer setting ‘Raw Maths’ questions (what is this, what is that questions), as in using the old method of setting questions, but, rather set application questions which calls for critical thinking.
He went ahead to say that, we need Professional Mathematics tutors who have studied Maths as a subject, to teach Maths in our Senior High Schools. Maths tutors are made to teach science while science tutors teach Maths.
He sighted an example of a headmaster,who would like his child, who offered science in school, to teach Maths in the school he is heading, presuming his child can teach Maths, since, he offered science in school.
Also, most of our Senior High Schools lack Mathematical resources and most of the tutors are also not resourced. Well accommodated but hungry teachers can never do things the way it’s supposed to be done let alone to teach students well to pass.
The senior lecturer who doubles as an educationist, iced the cake a bit on the English language.According to him, English is a difficult subject and students are being forced to learn. Research has shown that, before a child can understand another language, the child has to be competent in his/her mother tongue first in order to avoid direct translation when speaking.
But we are underrating our own language, so the children don’t have any foundation in their native language, which makes them to use direct translations like ‘’am going to come’’, to mean,‘’I will be right back’’.
Prof. Ziga furthered by saying, a lethal factor is the use of short hands as an impact of social media on the youth. When it comes to this aspect, even University students are found using dis, dat, b/n, bcos, i.e, de, whc, wen, wat, and the likes in their exams making things complicated for examiners to understand.
He concluded by emphasizing on the fact that, well-trained University Graduates should be employed rather than the unqualified ones. If the right thing is not done, things will turn out worse, because, as the student population increases, the teacher effectiveness decreases. The course contents are also loaded so the teachers do not finish within time, and, extra classes is also not allowed.
Story by: Amoakoah Bernice/pinkfmonlinegh.com
