In Suriname a child starts at an early age with math.
For many children this is not so pleasant. They are given a series of numbers and math rules and often enough they don't know why.
That's how I grew up too. That's how I was introduced to math and that's how I continued along without knowing why I needed to know it all.
It wasn't until I was in college that I actually knew how important math is.
For example, in the first year we were introduced to some practical situations such as:
- A mathematical model of crime in Trinidad and Tobago
- How mathematical formulas can be used to calculate the time of death of a person (if a body is found somewhere).
- How various agencies can manipulate the people by fiddling with numbers in a mathematical way.
These are things that make mathematics interesting. Of course you can't go into detail explaining these kinds of models to a 11 year old, but giving an introduction to what math can all be used for.
I very often get students at tutoring sessions who have absolutely no idea why math is important. But mathematics is actually used in every field of study. Some students use it more, others less.
I often get the question from my own family en friends: Will you become a teacher when you graduate?
Because people think you can't do anything else if you study math.
But as a mathematician you can actually work anywhere: at the bank, at insurance companies, in teams with other professionals such as engineers.
The interest in mathematics in Suriname is very small. People sometimes pull an ugly face when they hear I study mathematics.😂
There really needs to be a change in the education system, I think. Not just throwing numbers at them, but letting the children know how what they learn is applied in practice. Or more strongly, where it is applied.
And I am not saying that Math is the most important thing in the world. No, absolutely not. But if you have to take math tests over and over again from a young age, I do think you would also like to know what that math is used for.
Thank you for reading. ❤️
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