TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2024
Ajit John
Today is the International Day of Mathematics. It is also known as the Pi Day, because the mathematical constant π (pi) can be rounded down to 3.14. Mathematics is a language that can cause much heartburn among a large section of the population. But for a section, it is a language they love intensely. For them, it is a love they nurture and keep all their lives.
For the parents and the students who love this language it is one of great dexterity. For Sarika Parsekar, a mother, it is a source of great joy that her son Shresh is good at mathematics. In fact, he won for maths in school. Shresh, a student in Class 5 was full of beans while talking about his love for mathematics. A student of Lady of Rosary High School in Fatorda, he says, “I am a topper in the list. I love to solve problems. I keep an hour aside every day to study mathematics. I will take mathematics when I go to college too.” Confidence was something he is not short of.
This is a love story where the age of the smitten is never a problem. Sharlet Fernandes speaking about her son Kaeden who is in Class 3 says, “Kaeden is good at mathematics. He likes simple sums. He enjoys multiplication of all the simple stuff. Whatever is in the syllabus he is comfortable with all of it. He gets good grades.” For young Kaeden, his love comes because it is fun. He says, “I love addition the most, followed by conversion. I would love to do it all my life.” He intends to be an engineer, a field which will keep him in contact with maths. He says to make maths more agreeable for everyone, teachers should use math riddles and math jokes which would help. He studied the subject every day for half an hour.
For Glenny Goes, mother to twins Hailee and Hayden Mascarenhas, who are students of The King’s School in Nessai, the prospect of teaching maths to her kids did not fill her with dread. She says, “They are good, both of them are in Class 5. They are good students, they have the talent and get good marks in all the subjects.” For Hayden, the love of mathematics was rooted in the fact that it was fun. He says, “I never get bored with mathematics. It is like playing with numbers and numbers are fun.” For his twin Hailee, the fact that it is her favourite subject, made it all the more easier to study. She says, “I love numbers and I love calculating. I would like to study it all my life. I will study maths when I go to college too.”
Deepak Naik’s daughter, Dilisha Naik is a Class 7 student who enjoys studying maths and loves doing addition, division and subtraction. She feels that everyone should take an interest in the subject which would help them.
For Winoska D’Silva, whose interest in mathematics made her participate in the Olympiad Silver Zone held in the State last year, it was a love that was born in her school. She says, “I love addition, multiplication and subtraction. I intend to study the subject in college. I study maths every day.” When asked what needed to be done to make it more popular among students, she says it was important to solve problems in a fun way which would then make it more accessible to everyone.
For Shamin Sequeira from Bicholim, a senior student, the love for math was a very strong feeling. She says, “Maths was one of my favourite subject. I found it interesting right from childhood, and found the formulas quite interesting. Also scored well while in school in Maths. In fact, I scored the highest in Maths compared to other subjects.”
For the teacher who was required to teach the language it was a tough assignment. Sneha Chowgule, a teacher in the primary section of a school says it was important to take care of all the students because they were all of varying capabilities. She says, “You have to take care of all the levels. Currently, I am not teaching maths in school but still take tuitions. Students learn easily when it is done with activity. Cannot be done only by solving on the board. With blocks with 10, 100 and 1000 to them it is easier to learn about carryover. Blocks make it easier.”
There is also a Mathematics Conference 2024 Goa on March 16 to update skills and knowledge. At this event, scholars, researchers, professionals, and industrialists will come together to discuss the latest developments in the field. It is possible to participate in group discussions and smart talks, and one can also showcase one’s research.
UNESCO is celebrating the International Day of Mathematics (IDM), under the theme, ‘Playing with math’. The 2024 theme celebrates mathematical games, puzzles, and other entertaining activities, but also ‘playing’ with mathematics itself, exploring, experimenting, and discovering. IDM 2024 is celebrated in more than 90 countries with over 1100 individual events.
