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Bringing Maths to Life!

STRANRAER ACADEMY are hoping a new programme will bring conventionally “dull” Maths classes to life and at the same time turn around the school’s poor attainment in the subject.

For, with the blessing of education bosses, the Academy will lead the way in Dumfries and Galloway by implementing “Maths Alive” — a system where pupils learn by interacting with a huge whiteboard at the front of the classroom.

The system would incorporate the basics of mathematics in a series of games and computer-generated graphics which, it is hoped, will grasp the attention of the pupils.

And the school’s head of Maths, Gordon Smart has described the programme as “the most exciting thing I have ever seen in 21 years of teaching”.

Although “Maths Alive” currently only caters for ages between five and 14, the school see it as an “ideal basis” for preparing first- and second-year children for the exam years.

Rector Jimmy Higgins said “We would like to see ourselves jump in there and give our pupils a head start.

“This is a precise, stimulating and flexible method of learning and is of a very high standard. It engages pupils at their own stage and the world they live in. But there is still a central role for the teacher as well. We still need a sensitive, high morale teacher to drive it.

“This department has for a long time suffered from a low morale and has been working against a difficult background.

“It is time we really moved this forward and this gives us the best opportunity I have ever seen to do just that. It is whole-class geared and will really get the class buzzing".