Winneba (C/R), March 30, GNA - A retired lecturer in Mathematics, Professor Francis Allotey has called on policy makers to appreciate Mathematics as a subject relevant to national development. He said Mathematics "has not been seen as a problem-solving subject but rather as a subject of symbols and signs". Prof Allotey was delivering an address at a three-day first Annual Congress of the Ghana Mathematics Society (GMS) at the University of Education, Winneba.

The theme for the Congress was "Developing Mathematical Talents in our Educational System".

It was attended by over 80 teachers from the Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Senior High Schools, Private Institutions, Junior High Schools and the Mathematics Community of Ghana.

It afforded them the opportunity to dilate on ways to improve the teaching and learning of Mathematics in the country. Prof Allotey said Mathematics unlike social psychology could be used to predict the future and urged government to put premium on the subject. He observed that the myth of fear surrounding the study of Mathematics is as a result of the way it is being taught by some teachers.

The President of the Ghana Mathematics Society, Prof Sitsofe Anku said all developed countries use Mathematics to reach that level and therefore Ghana must do likewise and called for the revamping of the subject in schools.

Prof Anku said to confront the challenges facing the teaching and learning of Mathematics in the country, the association was poised to nurture talents in Mathematics at all levels of education. He said the Association has embarked on a research into the subject and its applications to national education, by forming a think-tank to deliberate and set the agenda to systematically direct the technological development of Ghana.

Prof Anku said the Association was collaborating with local and international Mathematics societies on issues of mutual interest to find solutions to problems facing Mathematics. He said they would also provide professional development for all teachers of Mathematics in Ghana, as well as a pool of experts in the subject and Mathematics education for the country's tertiary institutions.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof Mawutor Avoke urged the Association to find innovative ways of making Mathematics more friendly and attractive to students. Prof Avoke asked the Society to discover easy methods and learning strategies in finding solutions to Mathematical problems.