Who Is Mathematics

Who is Mathematics?
Learning on the definition of the Oxford Bilingual Dictionary, Mathematics is

viewed as the science of number; quantity and space. It is quite unfortunate that
many pupils and students ignore the place of Mathematics in their lives, forgetting
to understand it is important in the educational system in Cameroon, especially the
English sub system of education. Most of the students only discover its
importance at the advanced stage (after Advance level) of their education when
they faced a hindering barrier into some field of studies. Mathematics had 53.41%
at the 2023 Cameroon GCE ordinary level exams which is below 66.88% overall
ordinary level results (CGCE Results statistic 2023). This result was not
encouraging and therefore much is required, considering that Mathematics is the
basic tools needed to open the doors to our career and our reasoning capacity
(Author; 2023). First we will like to understand student mind-set about
Mathematics, the reason for their poor performance, enlightening the important of
Mathematics in the educational system in Cameroon and propose suggestions on
how to improved performance in Mathematics.
Pupils and Students Attitude towards Mathematics
Most pupils and students do not like Mathematics most especially if they have
chosen their field of studies in Arts, even among Science students, most still feel
Mathematic is just a punishment. Like some will say; “we are looking for X, How
will that ever help us?” So to them, they feel Mathematics is just meant to punish
them because they fail to understand it’s important in their lives and this could be
accounted for one of the reasons for the slow performance in Mathematics at the
Ordinary level of Education despite the fact that it is made compulsory for all
students.
So too, the Arts students feels Mathematics is made for science students and not
for them, that is the reason they give less attention to it.
To others, they believe that Mathematics is difficult based on previous information

they might had gather from their seniors in school. Other students find it difficult
based on the method used by some teacher to introduce the lessons and the
teaching methods. Some students are slow learner and teachers should therefore
design their teaching methods to accommodate both the slow and fast learner.
Some teachers openly tell the students that Mathematics is difficult and not meat
for everyone.
Therefore in the desire to encourage students to performed well in Mathematics, all

these negativities must be well handled because Mathematics has the following
benefits.
The important of Mathematics in the Cameroon Educational System
 Mathematics is applicable to all careers in life as well as our personal life

and reasoning capacity.
 In the Anglophone sub-system of Education, pupils siting for Common
Entrance exams write only Mathematics and English language.
 Mathematics is one of the compulsory subject to all students at Ordinary
Level.
 All our lives applications need basic knowledge of Mathematics like
buying, selling and dealing with people in the society.
 Mathematics skills open up our minds to reason faster and smart in all our
lives interaction.
 There is no field of lives that can go without Mathematics even in
journalism for time management among others.
 The true knowledge of Mathematics is the success behind all bridges,
building of computer programming among others.
 In Anglophones University like University of Bamenda and University of
Buea, Mathematics at ordinary level is a pre-condition for admission into
Degree programs in Social Sciences like Economics, Accounting,
Marketing, Management, Banking and Finance, Human Resource without
which the student will not be admitted irrespective of he/her grade in that
particular course he/she intend to study. My experience in admission and
record office of the University of Bamenda in 2019, a student with an A
grade in Geology was disqualified from furthering Geology because she did
not have Ordinary level Mathematics and was advise to apply for
Geography. Students as well with A grades in Economics, were not allowed
to further Economics at First degree (Bachelor degree) due to lack of
Ordinary level Mathematics (however, University of Bamenda from 2020
starting admitting without a passed in Mathematics but the student are
always informed to sit back for Ordinary level exams to obtained a passed in
the set subject otherwise they will not be allow to graduate). Mathematics at
ordinary is also one of the precondition for admission into schools like
Higher Institute of Commerce and Management (HICM), Higher Institute of
Transport and Logistics(HITL), College of Technology (Coltech), National
Polytechnic Institute (NAHPI), Faculty of Health Science (FHS) all of the
University of Bamenda.
Do these shows how much important Mathematics is to the Cameroon English

sub-system of Education?
Conclusion
Therefore, weather we are interested in the engineering field or not, Mathematics is
the basic tools needed to open the doors to our career and our reasoning capacity
(Author; 2023)
Suggestions
The following suggestions are deem important both to pupil, students,

parents/guidance, teachers, head of educational establishments and Government of
Cameroon.
Awareness creation
First, students at the basic level and early secondary schools should be educated to
know the important of Mathematics in all career paths being it in engineering
science, social sciences, and even in Arts. These will change students’ mentality
from looking at Mathematics (what is the value of X?) as a punishment.
Role of Guidance and Counsellors in School
Guidance and Counsellor should take it upon themselves to create awareness to all
pupils and students on the important of Mathematics and not only wait on the
special day of guidance and counsellor day to do that. So too, the role of
counselling should be a responsibility of all teachers and parents and not only the
Guidance and counsellors teachers.
Recruitment of Mathematics teachers (most especially private school)
Selection of teachers for Mathematics should be done carefully to ensure that the
teacher is well qualified, having pedagogy mind-set to tell the students that
Mathematics is live and very simple and to find a way within his class environment
to encourage slow learner and create a passion for Mathematics in the mind of
students with misconception.
Setting minimum score in Mathematics at Form three and Ordinary level
The government can set a minimum score requirement in mathematics for students
at form three to be promoted to form four and a minimum score required at
ordinary level without which the student will be considered failed. These can go a
long way to sit pupil and students up in mathematics.
By Emmanuel Nghoshigo Yakum; MSc Banking and Finance (UBa 2021)

e.nyakum@gmail.com 671356 689

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Who is Mathematics?

Learning on the definition of the Oxford Bilingual Dictionary, Mathematics is

Pupils and Students Attitude towards Mathematics

To others, they believe that Mathematics is difficult based on previous information

Therefore in the desire to encourage students to performed well in Mathematics, all

The important of Mathematics in the Cameroon Educational System

 Mathematics is applicable to all careers in life as well as our personal life

Do these shows how much important Mathematics is to the Cameroon English

The following suggestions are deem important both to pupil, students,

Role of Guidance and Counsellors in School

Recruitment of Mathematics teachers (most especially private school)

By Emmanuel Nghoshigo Yakum; MSc Banking and Finance (UBa 2021)

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