Attacks on maths syllabus add up

The teaching of mathematics at primary level may be hampered by the new Target Oriented Curriculum (TOC), which stresses a realistic, everyday approach to primary school teaching, say experts.

At a press conference at the University of Hong Kong, mathematics teachers said the TOC's aims of 'communicating, inquiring, conceptualising, reasoning and problem-solving' were a mere slogan, and urged the Education Department to make a more detailed study of the TOC syllabus.

The TOC, which has been extended to most primary schools in the territory, aims to enhance students' learning experience by relating teaching to daily life.

Dr Leung Koon-shing, dean of HKU's Faculty of Education, said: 'We need a great change in the present mathematics syllabus so as to fulfil TOC's five aims. But the TOC's teaching approach is unsuitable for mathematics.' Mr Chow Wai-man, an HKU mathematics lecturer, said: 'The maths syllabus is outdated. It was introduced in the '80s and does not meet TOC aims.

'The syllabus makes students do things like drawing pie-charts and four-digit multiplication. Today these skills aren't necessary as they can be done with calculators and computers,' Mr Chow said. 'Even if they had these skills, they shouldn't have to spend too much time on them.' Mr Fung Chun-ip, a mathematics lecturer at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, said: 'There are too many topics taught at primary level, and they are duplicated at secondary level. This sort of repetition can dull a student's interest.' 'Primary students are too young to learn too much. Some of the primary topics should be shifted to secondary level.' Mr Fung believes the TOC's teaching method of using real-life situations did not always work in the case of mathematics.

'Geometry and equations cannot be explained through real-life situations,' he said.