The National Curriculum Statement states that Education is a lifelong learning process. In Solomon Islands, an outcome based education approach was adapted to develop the Mathematics syllabus and learning and teaching materials. The Mathematics Syllabus has been designed using Learning Outcomes which identify the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that all Learners should achieve and demonstrate by the end of Year Nine (Yr. 9). The syllabus integrates Mathematics and local knowledge to ensure the syllabus provides relevant skills and knowledge for all learners. Mathematics is one of the national curriculum learning areas which builds on the teaching and learning of fundamental knowledge and skills from Year 1 to 6 in the Primary level.
Learning Mathematics is essential in understanding the world in which we live and work. It helps people to think critically and constructively in how they participated in various activities in real life situations. It also be used as a tool that involves investigating the living, physical, materials and technological components of the environment and creative processes of investigation and exploring natural and man-made processes in the environment. It also be used in the field of science where people including learners could investigate body of knowledge with a hope of making important contributions to the decisions which are shaping our world and the world for future generations. The syllabus also provides learners with time and space to reflect on how mathematics had been taught and learnt in the Solomon Islands vast diverse systems of indigenous knowledge development and skills that had been used and transferred from parents to children in the past years till today. Learners can be able to explore inter-relationships between contemporary models of Mathematics in the modern era and traditional ways so that meaningful skills and resources would be acquired for them to use for their survival not only in this life but in the future.
The syllabus emphasizes learners working individually and in groups, in planning and conducting investigations. They evaluate issues and problems, identify questions for inquiry and draw evidenced based conclusions from their investigations. Through this problem solving process they develop their critical thinking skills and creativity. Learners are provided with experiences in making informed decisions about the environment, the natural and technological world and in communicating their understanding, ideas and perceptions. The practical nature of the subject must be emphasized through hands on activities that will occupy a substantial amount of time. All learners will be required to undertake research projects’, hands on” practical investigations and other individual tasks. The Mathematics Curriculum is designed to encourage all learners to continue their participation in Mathematics education as a compulsory subject and beyond. With ability and interest in Mathematics, some will continue to study Mathematics as an integrated subject, some will study specialist Mathematics subjects and others may do both.
Assessment is an important component of teaching and learning and is integratedinto the teaching and learning activities of Mathematics. The emphasis is on continuous assessment and as such will provide feedback to learners and the teacher on learner’s progress towards achievements of the learning outcomes. It helps learners improve their standards of achievements by knowing what they need to do well and where they need to improve. In Mathematics, teachers will gather evidence from learner’s work during the course of the term and uses those continuous assessments to improve their teaching and learner’s learning.
To promote a contemporary and comprehensive Mathematics education, this curriculum has been organized into learning strands where they covers the main branch of Mathematics . The five (5) strands in Mathematics are: Numbers, Statistics, Geometry, Algebra and Trigonometry. These strands are further sub-divided into substands where coverage of the contents of the strands are more wider and very specific.