Opinion: Modern maths failing our students

I will not lie, part of the charm of becoming a journalist was the comforting thought that I would never have to do maths again.

Firstly, I was wrong - this job has me trawling through statistics on a daily basis.

Secondly, my chosen career did not stop me having to learn maths, at least up until fifth form (Year 11).

While I was only at primary school a mere 12 years ago, it seems the way maths is taught today is a far cry from my rote-learning ways of having to stand up in front of the class while being quizzed on my times tables.

In Saturday's Rotorua Daily Post I speak to principals about a damning report suggesting student achievement in maths has declined since changing the way the subject is taught in schools.

The Numeracy Project, which saw $70 million injected into the subject's overhaul, had the noble aim of getting kids actually thinking about numerical problems and coming up with their own strategies to solve them.

However, despite good intentions, the pendulum swung too far and instead of building on solid foundations, basic maths principles quickly fell to the wayside.

Teachers, who for the most part are not maths experts, have been left floundering with little support and little understanding of what they are meant to be teaching.

The result? A bunch of students who may understand in theory how maths works, but when put to the test, cannot do basic equations to solve a problem.

While I would be the first person to admit my maths skills are less than flash, thanks to my Year 6 teacher, Mrs Mason, I can at least rattle off my times tables on a moment's notice.

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