‘Maths needs to be approached without the fear of marks’

For many students, learning mathematics is relevant, but it is also challenging and often perceived as boring; one is either at the top or at the bottom. Many develop a fear of numbers. Not only this, it is observed that elders in the family, who themselves had bitter experiences while learning the subject, end up passing this phobia on to younger ones at some point.

The common perception is that mathematics is abstract and difficult, which makes students consider it a dull and dry subject. According to the Ministry of Education’s PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan report published last year, significant learning gaps exist among Indian students. As far as mathematics is concerned, in Class III, only 55 per cent of students can arrange numbers up to 99 in ascending or descending order. About 63 per cent of Class IX students face difficulty in recognising basic numerical patterns and concepts such as fractions and integers.

We know that there is no human activity — including inventions, discoveries, and innovations — that does not depend on mathematics. The economic prosperity of any society depends on this subject. The beauty of mathematics lies in its language of patterns, logic and problem-solving, which requires understanding. Understanding mathematics involves knowing, receiving, comprehending, and making sense of the meaning and implications of mathematical knowledge.

The key to learning mathematics, therefore, is to have an open mind and practice regularly. Like many other skills, if one does not actively engage with it — whether by solving problems, applying concepts, revising key ideas, or practising — it is easy to forget or lose proficiency over time. While there is no escape from mathematics in school until Class 10, it is a subject that fosters logical thinking and contributes to the development of learners’ competencies. Mathematics teaches patience and the ability to solve problems step by step. These abilities are also required in other areas of learning, such as music, art and writing. There is no denying that studying subjects like accounts, economics, finance, technology and research requires knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts.

The significance of this subject is enormous — not only as an academic discipline but also as a life skill that prepares learners to move away from rote memorisation towards deeper conceptual understanding, critical thinking and creativity in problem-solving. From the primary classes onwards, parents and teachers need to encourage students to learn the subject with understanding, without focusing solely on marks. Students should be encouraged to embrace mathematics as an essential life skill that requires comprehension, clarity, concentration, consistency, commitment and most importantly, love — not just as an academic requirement.