Use of Mathematics Laboratory in the School

As you are aware, the CBSE had introduced the concept of Mathematics Laboratory in the affiliated schools last year. In order to facilitate the schools to understand the philosophy behind the concept of Mathematics Laboratory the Board had also issued “Guidelines to Schools for Mathematics Laboratory”.

The objectives behind the introduction of Mathematics Laboratory were:

1. The fear for study of Mathematics should be diffused.

2. The learning of Mathematics should be made more pragmatic and life-oriented at the school level.

3. There is a need to improve the pedagogy in Mathematics to enhance analytical and critical thinking.

4. The learning of Mathematics could be linked with other subjects to develop interdisciplinary thinking.

5. The tools and instruments for practical verification of mathematical concepts could be locally designed by innovative methods.

6. The students could be evaluated on their mathernatical skills by continuous and comprehensive evaluation.

This book brought various methods of by which the learning of Mathematics could be more pragmatic and interesting. The efforts made by the Board are only suggestive and not prescriptive. This facilitates the schools and teachers to make their own models and designs so that the interest and aptitude in the study and performance in Mathematics could be improved.

The Board recommends that all the affiliated schools should immediately make necessary initiatives to start the Mathematics Laboratory for classes III to VIII and integrate the evaluation of practical competencies in Mathematics in the evaluation of the subject. The Board expects all the affiliated schools to have their Mathematics Laboratories ready by 31st March, 2005 in order that the future strategies in this regard could be put in place. The Board intends to extend the evaluation of these competencies as apart of its internal continuous and comprehensive evaluation at the secondary stage shortly.

The irnmediate initiatives taken by the schools to set up Mathematics laboratories would give enough and

adequate time for them to plant their future strategies. It will give further scope for extending these facilities to the secondary classes also so that the internal evaluation in Mathematics at the secondary stage becomes possible.

Given the fact that enormous academic resources are available in the country the schools should tap the local resources in developing a meaning and tool for the concept development pedagogy and evaluation in this subject. The Board looks forward to fresh and newer initiatives to make the learning of Mathematics more purposeful, integrated and pragmatic.