Greenpark School principal Graeme Lind told the <i>Bay of Plenty Times</i> teaching methods confused children. Photo / Ruth Keber
Greenpark School principal Graeme Lind told the <i>Bay of Plenty Times</i> teaching methods confused children. Photo / Ruth Keber
A Tauranga principal blames "confusing" teaching methods and a lack of competency in trainee teachers for declining maths ability in school children.
A new report created by the New Zealand Institute research fellow Rose Patterson concluded maths performance had been falling in the past 10 years.
The report was launched yesterday by Education Minister Hekia Parata, who said "there is a problem" with maths in New Zealand schools but the Government was investing to ensure it was addressed.
Ms Patterson's report said there had been losses in the basics such as simple addition and multiplication, and children were no longer using vertical written methods for solving maths problems. The report found many teachers new to the profession may not be proficient enough to teach the methods now used.
Greenpark School principal Graeme Lind told the Bay of Plenty Times teaching methods confused children but he believed there was a big problem with trainee teachers not being competent.
"The way we teach now means that we actually confuse the kiddies because we provide more than one strategy. I believe maths attainment levels have gone down nationally.
"I believe you can get into teacher training institutions without the necessary skills. There has to be a level of competency you need to have, not just maths skills, but in many areas. I've had [teacher] students here that I believe have been very poor."
Tauranga-based maths and Spanish tutor Daniel Ortiz said some of his high school students were struggling with basic things such as times tables.
He said today's students were asked to solve the same maths problem using three different methods instead of choosing the one that worked best and sticking with it.
"They have to work with three different systems, which is confusing for them. They want to stick with the one they find most comfortable." Mr Ortiz had noticed increased demand for tutoring and expected that would continue.
Ms Parata said challenges in maths would be addressed by raising the quality of teaching and ensuring that resources were shared. She said the Government's new Investing in Educational Success programme would help schools share their expertise, among other professional development projects.
Tahatai Coast School principal Ian Leckie questioned why Ms Parata would launch a report that slammed the very people she had most responsibility for. "She has the means to address what she might call competency concerns. The ministry approves all teaching courses."
Rhys Diffin has made progress with tutor Daniel Ortiz. Photo / Andrew Warner
Tutor helping boy achieve results
Rhys Diffin, 11, has become far more confident with his maths since Daniel Ortiz has tutored him.
His mother, Lily Coster, said Rhys had been getting maths tutoring for about a year from Mr Ortiz after struggling at school.
"He's gone from not being confident before to being quite confident and he's achieving. His maths is at a higher level than where he was before.
"He is definitely achieving and finding it fun."
Mrs Coster said using multiple methods to solve a problem was confusing for children. She remembered learning many things by rote when she was at school, such as times tables.
Mr Ortiz was particularly good at teaching in a way that appealed to Rhys and reinforced the things he learned at school, she said.
"Whatever Rhys learns at school, Daniel does in his tutoring as well. I've been watching the way he teaches then when Rhys does his homework, I'm there to help him when he needs the help."
