How Do We Reduce the Fear of Mathematics in Children?

Heart pounding, nervously sweating, backpack sliding down his shoulder, Rohan drearily made his way up the stairs, guilt creeping in as he rang the doorbell. He looked up at his mother as she appeared and opened the door to let him in. He reached a state of absolute terror as the words that he had been dreading the whole ride home, came out of his mother’s mouth – “How much did you get in Maths”?

This is the story of 10-year-old Rohan and what happens to him right after he receives his term scores. Even though he had done moderately well in other subjects, the grim atmosphere in his house is always courtesy of his “not great” scores in Mathematics.

In India there are tens of thousands of Rohans who are at this very moment dreading to go home just because they scored low on a Math test or have perhaps not passed and received an F.

Once a fear of the subject sets in, these kids start to look at Math as this incomprehensible, unachievable subject that they will never understand. What comes next is again a popular pattern – scoring lower in Math with each passing year, being sent to tuition/coaching, parents shelling out twice as much on school education, resorting to cheating, and in many cases, failing the subject altogether. Kids would rather endure all this than actually learn the subject. Why is that?

Mathematics – What causes the fear

As we chatted with kids from ages 4 to 15 and their parents to understand what they think about this fear of mathematics that prevails in the Indian education system right from primary school, we began to understand that the problem has more to do with the mindset than the subject matter itself.

It was fascinating to see that most parents were hesitant to even admit to an outsider that their child has not been doing well in Math. This speaks a lot about the mindset of parents and the constant denial they remain in. Refusing to accept the fact that their children don’t perhaps enjoy or do well in the subject and might need support is the root of this fear. It also exhibits how children in India are raised. Right from the beginning they are made to believe that Mathematics is the subject that will define them and they ought to love it. That without Math, they have no future.

While most parents rode the wave of denial, some parents expressed their concern about the rising pressure on children in schools. Competition in academic performance has gone extremely high and Mathematics is at the peak of this mounted pressure. Rise of coaching especially online along with prep for entrance exams starting as early as middle school is increasing the burden on children to score higher and higher with each passing grade. Since Math is one of the main subjects to prepare for in all entrance exams, the stress surrounding it is undeniable.

We also spoke to a different stratum of society wherein the parents themselves have not received proper education but are making ends meet to send their kids to school. Manjula, is a maid in one of the city’s suburban household and has three children, ages – 4, 7 and 13. The 13-year-old, a boy, goes to school but has been struggling in Math and Science. When asked about this issue, Manjula said, “We know nothing about education because we didn’t get any! We ask the people whose houses we go to work in about how to guide our children. They are our best mentors.”

So you see, it’s a cycle. What the educated class of India believes is what trickles down to those who look up to it. The onus lies with us to build a future that does not ride on academic performance alone, that too in just a single subject.

The Solution

Back in the day, textbooks were dry as a twig, but today, the way that information is represented in school books has changed a lot. Mathematics books try to tell stories, take real life examples of problem solving and exhibit practical applications of Math questions. Entire books are designed like encyclopedias (remember how much we loved looking at encyclopedias as kids?). 6-year-old Ananya says she loves Math because of the stories and pictures in her book!

Different education boards in India have different ways of imparting knowledge and prescribe different sets of textbooks. While some have switched to a modern, practical approach to education, others are still using conventional methods of teaching through books where chapters start with explaining the concept in a limited capacity and end with a set of problems that students have to solve. The same is replicated in the examination and answers are assessed based on textbook learning. Where in this entire process is the inquisitiveness? The excitement? The fun? It only encourages students to mug up the concepts which is kind of an oxymoron as concepts not to be memorized but understood.

Adil, a 6th grader enjoys Math and his favorite school activity is participating in Mathematics Olympiads. While speaking to his parents, we asked if the focus on Math was deliberate to which his parents said, “We have never emphasized on a subject or held one above the other. The early years are crucial in developing and assessing interest in different subjects. As parents, if we invest time in the child’s early years and approach learning in a way that gives the child freedom to learn what he/she likes, the subsequent years of school and college become extremely breezy because the child feels no pressure to perform and please others, but does well anyway.”, said Adil’s mother.

Parents need to be aware of opportunities in all subjects and treat Mathematics as one of the subjects rather than “THE” subject in the curriculum. They need to help children broaden their spectrum of studies so that unwanted pressure is taken off subjects like Math. Some schools have also moved away from a traditional ranking system and started a grading process similar to corporate evaluation systems like Exceeds Expectations, Mover, Acceptable, etc.). This also reduces the fear of being judged and compared to other students.

Ms. Anupama Dogra, a PHD and Professor of Mathematics, gave us an educator’s view of the situation and the possible solutions.

“Parents and teachers need to change the prevailing psyche and look at Mathematics as any other subject to reduce this pressure. Even at home, we speak of Mathematics as a subject of great importance. So, the fear is developed in students and they get scared to approach it.”

According to Ms. Anupama, the importance of a good teacher is also imperative – if the teacher is good, he/she can generate interest in the subject. Mathematics is perfected with practice. The more you practice, the more you learn. Children should be encouraged to practice in such a way that they look forward to it and feel excited about the exercise.

“Make the curriculum in a way that is fun for kids. Encourage them to practice in bits, give them fewer problems to solve and reward them for it. Mugging up concepts will not work. It is the basics that need to be strengthened. I come across students of higher studies who still do not understand basic concepts like the quadratic equation.”, said Ms. Anupama.

In every class, 10% of the student are brilliant, 60% are moderate and the rest are weak in Math. To achieve balance in class, teachers need to treat all students impartially. They often reflect bias towards the brilliant ones and tend to be harsh with those who do not do well. Scolding these students in class, is not the solution. That leaves them embarrassed and humiliated. This is where an inevitable fear of the subject sets in. Teachers must listen, connect and be a friend to their students. They need to be humble and treat every student in a way that he/she feels worthy and not scared. If the class atmosphere is uninviting, most students would not learn or pay attention.

Similarly, parents need to listen and talk to the child and identify grey areas. Where the child lacks interest and where it finds enjoyment. In India, we do not listen to our children and tend to push them towards what we think is best. When that doesn’t work, it is assumed that the kid has not paid attention or studied hard enough. The question is always “Why didn’t you do well?” and not “What is bothering you?”.

There has always been a comparison with the neighbor’s child, the relative’s child or other children in class. We focus only on comparative learning and nothing more. It is never about building a personality. Knowledge is imparted and children replicate that knowledge in examinations solely to get competitive marks.

There is, however, a shift in learning today. Schools in India are starting to focus on overall personality development. They are also introducing innovative methods of learning through games, peer groups and creative problem solving. It is a good start but we still have a long way to go. If the psyche, developing in society, that Math is a very difficult subject can be changed, children will no longer struggle with unnecessary pressure. They need to be able to learn and do well in what interests them and not whatever is forced on them by parents, teachers or society.