Anold Tandi –Demystifying the Mathematics trepidation

The fears that we confront, we overcome. Mathematics was never meant to be a challenge. Yet most students still think otherwise. It is certainly not a preserve of the few academically gifted. I am against the misconception that calculus is a male domain.

Statistics point a gloomy picture towards the subject. Looking at the Mathematics pass rate for the past three years, the trend shows students are still having difficulties. In 2011 alone Mathematics pass rate was pegged at 19, 2%. A year later 18, 3 out 100 students passed and recently, 2013 revealed a 17, 9% pass rate. It is against this background that I decided to be part of the solution, teaching Mathematics to more than 150 students, particularly the girl child. 

My name is Anold Tandi. I was born to a humble family, twenty three years ago on the peripheries of Harare. Growing up in Chishawasha, I have always been passionate about making a positive contribution to my sphere of influence. No matter the challenges I faced growing up; I have always taken a positive attitude towards life. 

God blessed us with this life to enjoy. Not to endure. It takes one to raise one. As a way of living to my values and being meaningful to my community, I have started living my passion. Teaching and demystifying Mathematics to my fellow students. To date I have voluntarily trained more than 150 History Makers in Mathematics and I am still counting. I volunteered at Capernaum Trust, Harare Region during the holiday of August 2013. I conducted lessons with pupils from several secondary schools. Students came as far as Chitungwiza, Mbare, Vainona and Glen View to learn Mathematics. 

My joy leaps whenever I see students, particularly the girl child doing well in Mathematics. We unpacked the grey areas on topics such as Sine and Cosine Rule, Circle Geometry, Indices, Simultaneous Equations, Logarithms, Statistics, Pythagoras Theorem and Trigonometry. Positive results have started trickling in. One of the students I taught from Chitungwiza, Elvis Hasan obtained 10 straight As, distinctions at Ordinary Level. 

It is still early days yet, but one thing for sure, the demystifying of Mathematics has begun. Paulos once said, “Students need the ability to deal with fundamental notions of number and chance in order to make sense of mathematical information presented in everyday contexts”. 

My motive is to continue informing the students, parents, my colleagues, teachers and the entire community on the importance of Mathematics as a problem solving tool. Too many adults feel they were not good at the subject and in turn do not necessarily require more from their children. 

NTCM aptly summed it well, “In the changing world, those who understand and can do Mathematics have significant opportunities and options for shaping their future”. There is power in number crunching.

Higher life foundation