The conference is aimed at creating a forum where professionals can freely exchange views on local and international practice with regard to the teaching and learning of mathematics that will lead to initiatives being taken to improve the current situation.

In his opening address, Education Minister Louis Galea spoke about the growing importance of mathematics in today’s world. He said that many professions need to have an effective grasp of the discipline and this means that our educational system must provide a strong base in the subject.

He also referred to the need to benchmark Malta’s progress with that of other European countries in order to reach the Lisbon Targets, namely that of halving the level of gender imbalance and the halving of the percentage of low-achieving 15-year-olds in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy.

Dr Galea also spoke about the review of the

MATSEC system and about proposed reforms in the education system and how these will bring about further concentrated resources and school curricula that will be further centred around the needs of the students.

He also referred to the statistics related to mathematics. In state schools, he said, over 240 teachers are catering for over 3,100 students at fifth-form level which gives a ratio of 1:13. He also spoke about improvements in the SEC results which have increased by five per cent over the period 2002 and 2003.

In 2002, said Dr Galea, 70.6 per cent of registered candidates obtained a grade between 1 and 5, while in 2003, 75.2 per cent obtained a grade between 1 and 5. These percentages also signify that in 2002, 48.5 per cent of the total age group obtained a grade between 1 and 5, while in 2003, 53.1 per cent of the total age group obtained these grades.

He also pointed out that until 10 years ago, 20 per cent of students were expected to obtain a pass grade in mathematics at SEC level. In 2003, more than 61 per cent had obtained a mathematics SEC certificate with grades between 1 and 7, and 53 per cent of the students had obtained a mathematics SEC certification with grades between 1 and 5.