How can I explain the necessity of a mother to kids! Men often say – no wife no life! Basically, we accept that the mother is the nucleus of a family. Same way, Mathematics is the mother of science. If anyone wants to explore his/her career in Science, then there is no alternative than to also have solid knowledge in Mathematics!
Mathematics trains students the processes of drawing correct conclusions.
Mathematics is a fundamental part of human thought and logic, and integral to attempts at understanding the world and ourselves. Mathematics provides an effective way of building mental discipline and encourages logical reasoning and mental rigor. In addition, mathematical knowledge plays a crucial role in understanding the contents of other school subjects such as science, social studies, and even music and art.
Firstly, we ask the question: why does mathematics hold such an important and unique place amongst other subjects? That is, what is the significance of mathematics in the overall school curriculum? As a point of departure, we offer a few thoughts on why mathematics should be treated as an important subject in the overall curriculum.
– Mathematics has a transversal nature. If we reflect on the history of curriculum in general, then mathematics (geometry and algebra) were two of the seven liberal arts in Greek as well as in medieval times. This historical role supports the notion that mathematics has provided the mental discipline required for other disciplines.
– Mathematical literacy is a crucial attribute of individuals living more effective lives as constructive, concerned and reflective citizens. Mathematical literacy is taken to include basic computational skills, quantitative reasoning, spatial ability etc.
– Mathematics is applied in various fields and disciplines, i.e., mathematical concepts and procedures are used to solve problems in science, engineering, economics. (For example, the understanding of complex numbers is a prerequisite to learn many concepts in electronics.) The complexity of those problems often requires relatively sophisticated mathematical concepts and procedures when compared to the mathematical literacy aforementioned.
– Mathematics is a part of our human cultural heritage, and we have a responsibility to develop that heritage.
Secondly, since mathematics provides foundational knowledge and skills for other school subjects, such as sciences, art, economy, etc., the issue of how mathematics is intertwined with other school subjects deserved to be addressed. In some curricula, mathematics is offered independently to support the study of other school subjects as an ‘instrumental subject’, and in other curricula, integrated courses which combine mathematics and other fields are offered.
Thirdly, we may wish to reflect on the number of hours (proportion of hours) and/or courses allocated to mathematics when compared to the other school subject in the curriculum of each country. In addition to this quantitative analysis, information about the qualitative description of school mathematics in relation to other subjects also needs to be gathered. Although this comparison won’t show us the whole picture of why different countries attach the importance that they do to mathematics, the comparison may nonetheless provoke further discussion.
Source: mathunion.org
