A university teacher, Prof Mojeed Akinsola has called on governments at all levels to give priority attention to mathematics teachers and encourage them financially, saying they have a central role to play in mathematics education.
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Akinsola, of the Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan (UI), said this would attract more teachers and retain those already on the job.
  
The university teacher spoke while delivering his inaugural lecture, titled: “Demystification of mathematics: Glimpses from the lens of a mathematics educator,” at the Trenchard Hall of the institution.
  
He recommended that a mathematics teacher should not teach more than 60 students per day to enable him to monitor the students effectively, while only those who are specialists should teach the subject.
   
Akinsola added that to improve students’ learning in mathematics, their study habits and attitude should be improved by orientation, guidance and counseling, and holding friendly competitions.
   
Also, he added that commissioners of Education in various states should organise yearly workshops for mathematics teachers to equip them with new research findings on mathematics education.
 
This, he noted, would enable them to gain new insights into better ways of teaching the subject.  Akinsola also stated that there should be collaboration between researchers and practitioners.
   
On how language could assist mathematics education, he said: “There are three major languages commonly used in Nigeria and they are Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages, while English remains the official language. The National Policy on Education recommended that the mother tongue should be the medium of instruction for the first three years of basic education.
   
“This policy, to the best of my best knowledge, is not being obeyed,” Akinsola noted.