ACTING Minister of Education Patrick Todd and other top education officials are concerned about the modest results in mathematics at this year’s 11-Plus Common Entrance Examinations.The national average was just 51.4 per cent with more than 40 per cent of the students struggling in fractions which were featured in all three papers.More than 40 per cent of the students who were tested in this area failed to score any marks at all.Speaking at a Press conference at the Ministry of Education yesterday, Todd urged students to get back to the basic concepts.“I am a mathematics teacher and I know that understanding the methods involved in solving problems is critical. You must build that foundation and with a good foundation, students can excel.”The minister said that if students failed to master the basics, it would be very difficult to get a firm grip of the advanced topics such as Algebra or other aspects of mathematics.“All is not lost but by having this comprehensive data available to us, we are prepared to work continuously with the principals of the schools so that we can bring them together and identify in maths, English and essay so that the necessary remedial interventions can be made.” Senior education officer Glyne Price acknowledged that many children across the island were struggling at maths at all levels.“Although the teachers are trying different approaches to the teaching of mathematics, it is causing us some problems. At primary, at CXC and even at university, the maths scores need to be improved.Price said he was disappointed that students should be scoring zero on fractions in Section A because Section A was basic knowledge questions.Acting Chief Education Officer Laurie King said the ministry had programmes in place for students who were struggling in English and maths.He said they were looking to develop special individual edcuation plans which would allow the ministry to know the students’ strengths and weaknesses.King said there was no need to press the panic button.“There is absolutely no reason for persons to have to seek to go beyond the boundaries of the school system to get any special paid instruction for their young charges with respect to the delivery of maths and English.“We are concerned. One student that scores below 50 per cent would be one too many.”Todd also noted that students were experiencing difficulty in the functional use of grammar.“In the Section B of the English paper, we found again this year that whereas these items can obtain a maximum of two marks, far too many students receive just one mark indicating that there is a challenge in terms of the use of grammar.”Todd said many students did not get the second mark because the response did not conform to acceptable English expression.
