Declear State Of Emergency Over Shortage Of Maths Teachers - Prof Solarin

      Director-General and Chief Executive
Officer, National Mathematical Centre,
Abuja, Professor Adewale Solarin, weekend,
decried shortage of mathematical science
teachers at various levels of education in
Nigeria.
He stated this at a press briefing in Abuja to
announce the international symposium on
“Current trends in mathematical science and
applications” organised by African Academy
of Sciences, AAS, and African Mathematical
Union, AMU, holding May 17, 2016 in Abuja.
Solarin said dearth of teachers for
mathematics-related subjects was partly
responsible for the phobia and poor
performance
of students in mathematics in
public examinations.
He urged the Federal Government to declare
a state of emergency on mathematics.
NMC Director General, who is also
President, African Academy of Sciences,
noted that African mathematical scientists
resident in Africa were gradually becoming
endangered species because the number of
such scientists had been dwindling in quality
over the years.
Solarin said: “To compound matters, many
African countries, including Nigeria, have
witnessed an unprecedented proliferation of
universities and other tertiary institutions all
over the continent with inadequate matching
funds."
He, however, noted that Africans, including
Nigerians, have made tremendous
contributions to progress in mathematics.
He said: “We have had Nigerians that are
publishing their contributions in the best
journals in the world. If their contributions
were not up to international standard, they
won’t have been accepted for publications
in such journals.”
The director general said the symposium
would provide cost-effective way of training
mathematics teachers in various institutions
across the country.
He disclosed that over 100 Nigerians had
participated in the pre-symposium school or
workshop, where they were trained
extensively for two weeks from May 3 to
May 16, 2016.
Solarin also revealed that the symposium
would have about 20 non-Nigerian experts to
share knowledge and experience through
interaction with the young mathematical
scientists in the country, saying this would
further increase interest of many Nigerians
in the study of mathematical science.
President of African Mathematical Union,
Professor Aderemi Kuku, in his remark, said
Africans had made great impact in the field
of mathematical science in the world,
adding that the symposium would provide
opportunity for African mathematicians and
scientists to say what they are doing in their
countries.
He noted that even though African could
boast of well-trained mathematical
scientists and about the best education the
world could offer in famous universities and
institutions abroad, said what was lacking is
the critical mass needed to teach in the
younger generation in the continent.
Kuku said: “By critical mass, for instance, in
New York alone, you can count over 1,000
mathematicians with Ph.Ds who are doing
excellent work.”