Why mathematics is important

Kenya: Majority of students in both primary and secondary schools loathe mathematics. Unfortunately, maths is compulsory in our education system. Many students will score straight As in all subjects, but achieve a ‘D’ grade in maths.

Maths is very important; not just when one is in school, but even after school. It is a life skill that applies to everyone; the language for all professions not just engineers and accountants. Many of the innovative advances we witness today are as a result of maths.

Here are other reasons why you should take the subject seriously while in school and even after:

It is a compulsory subject and if you plan to make it to university and study a course that you love, then you have no choice but pass in maths. I know of students who missed out on courses like architecture, engineering, and medicine just because they did not perform well in maths despite scoring straight As in all the other subjects.

Career preparedness:

If you plan to be a doctor, you will need maths knowledge when calculating medication dosages, lawyers need maths to determine how to settle cases that have statistical evidence, while marketers need it to determine prices and profit margins.

Intellect:

Mathematics enables you to identify and analyse patterns. It also enhances your skills in logic and critical thinking. One is able to see relationships between things and even have an enhanced problem solving capacity.

The subject helps you figure out your personal finances. You are able to determine whether you have enough money to buy the latest phone, for example.

Helps you to balance your budget and avoid debts:

For those who love cooking or would like to be chefs in future, maths is handy. Whether you are baking a cake or grilling chicken, you require some maths skills. Ingredients will have to be measured in grams or teaspoons, otherwise, your food will backfire.

Travel:

If you love travelling or if you ever get a job that requires you to travel within and out of the country then maths will come in handy. Currency confusion is a big problem; you need to be good at calculations for you to convert the Kenya shilling into foreign currency. Local travel will require you to calculate distance so that you are able to estimate how long your journey will be.

Politicians too, require maths: They are able to predict election results even before the polling day. They do their own opinion polls just by asking questions to people on the ground and can figure out what potential voters think about them. They are then able to appropriately allocate their financial resources into the campaigns.

Mathematics is everywhere from the kitchen to the courtroom, to the gym, rugby pitch, and even Mama Mboga’s kiosk. Your smartphone will not always do the work for you; your brain is definitely better and more reliable. How you perform in mathematics will determine the kind of job you will secure after school.