An analysis done by Chennai-based online mathematics education platform, HeyMath! shows that over 60% of grade 7 students can’t compare quantities, while 40% of grade 6 students struggle with ratios.
The study was conducted to evaluate the maths proficiency of students at the end of the current academic year where 5,000 students from grades 5 to 9 in 30 CBSE schools across Delhi (1500), Chennai (2500), Coimbatore, Madurai, Bengaluru, and Vellore participated.
As per the study, 35% students failed (students who got more than 40% of questions wrong) in factors and multiples and divisibility tests which will directly affect their understanding of LCM (lowest common multiple) and HCF (highest common factor). 40% of grade 6 students failed in decimals, fractions, and ratios which are key pre-requisites for algebra.
The study results showed that 60% of Grade 7 students failed in mensuration and comparing quantities. More than 50% students, across all grades, found word problems to be difficult which indicates the importance of comprehension skills in primary years. At an overall level, as per the study, Chennai students performed about 15% higher better than their Delhi counterparts.
Transition years
“Grade 5 to 6 and Grade 8 to 9 are very important transitions years and a strong arithmetic foundation is critical. Moreover, CBSE has made board exams mandatory for Grade 10 and is considering extending testing to students of Grades 5 and 8 as well. ICSE has also announced a similar plan starting from the next academic year. Yet, the students are far from ready,” said Nirmala Sankaran, co-founder of HeyMath!
When asked how do ICSE and other board students perform in Maths, she said that this is a problem across all boards. According to her, when students can’t do arithmetic they tend to struggle when it comes to understanding new concepts. Teachers do not have the luxury of time nor do they have baseline data to address these deficiencies at the level of individual students, she added. The need of the hour is to look beyond the conventional pedagogy and use engaging methods, interactive lessons, animation, graphics, and quizzes, to ensure timely intervention in making maths learning less intimidating.
Started in 2000, by bankers, Harsh Rajan and Nirmala Sankaran, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, HeyMath! caters to 5,000 math teachers and 500,000 students across the world and India with more than 10,000 lessons and 1,00,000 practice problems.
