Arthur Kimanga: "To better attract students' attention to maths, you have to show them that they're interested."

Arthur Kimanga Losamisa (who has been teaching math for 35 years) believes that math is not as much of a "bête noire" in school as some students think, "if it is taught according to the methodology recommended by the Science Learning Domain (DAS)."

He made these remarks to the editorial staff of the EPST’s Communication Management Department during an interview conducted on International Mathematics Day.

"The Science Learning Domain (DAS) comprises three subdomains: the Mathematics subdomain, the Life and Earth Sciences subdomain, and the Physical Sciences, Technology, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) subdomain. They are centered on a situational approach. They primarily aim to engage students in situations that allow them to apply essential knowledge," explains this veteran educator.

Mathematics thus provides the teacher, he continues, with the elements needed to manage this student engagement in the classroom, namely: a list of essential knowledge, a bank of situations, and skills.

"Math is present in every aspect of modern life. To better capture students’ attention with math, we must demonstrate its relevance and encourage them to study it—especially through how the subject is taught," he added.

This teacher is convinced that math is a science that opens up many horizons and develops human reasoning.

"For example, with mathematical logic, you can’t just say anything. Everything you say is carefully considered," he explained.

This experienced teacher teaches Algebra and Calculus in the 10th grade Science track, 8th grade Literature track, and 8th grade Business track at Le Gai Savoir School, located in the Limete district of Kinshasa.

Since September 2016, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been firmly committed to modernizing its education system and, in particular, to developing modernized educational programs in the Science Learning Domain (DAS) for the final cycle of basic education and the scientific humanities.

As a reminder, March 14 was proclaimed by UNESCO as International Day of Mathematics (IDM). This occurred during the 40th UNESCO General Conference in November 2019.

This year’s theme is “Mathematics for All.”

The unique feature of IDM 2023 is the comic strip.

More than 1,700 individuals, schools, and organizations submitted a comic strip to illustrate mathematics for everyone.

They were displayed on the IDM website on March 14 and subsequently in a public gallery accessible to the public under a free and open license.