Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023
general elections, Peter Obi, has condemned the decision of the Federal
Government to remove mathematics as a compulsory admission requirement for arts
students.
In a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Obi said such
a policy is a regrettable step backward in the collective effort to build an
enlightened, competent, and globally competitive society.
He said that mathematics is not merely about numbers but
cultivates logic that sharpens critical thinking and develops problem-solving
skills essential for everyday life.
According to him, whether one studies the arts or sciences,
the ability to reason clearly and make sound judgements is an indispensable
quality that mathematics uniquely nurtures.
“To suggest that arts students do not need mathematics is to
imply that they can do without clarity of thought or analytical precision, the
very foundations of intellectual maturity.
“Once students believe they can safely neglect the subject,
many will abandon it altogether, leaving them ill-prepared for the demands of
modern life, where logic, computation, and structured reasoning underpin almost
every human activity.
“At a time when the world is driven by science, technology,
and data, it is disheartening, indeed, dirt to the ears, to hear of such
retrogression. We cannot afford to return to a system that sidelines
mathematics. Our education policy must aim to equip every child, regardless of
discipline, with the skills and competencies relevant to the twenty-first
century.
“At this juncture, one is constrained to ask the reason
behind its removal as a required subject for admission. Does it mean that our
tertiary institutions lack enough students because of mathematics? What,
indeed, are the reasons?
“I therefore urge the relevant authorities to reconsider
this decision in the interest of our students and the future of our nation and
reinstate it as a core admission subject. Education should move forward, not
backward,” he wrote.
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