Mathematics Education in East Africa

Abstract

The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) has a substantive interest in ensuring that its resources and influence extend to any country that is able to mobilize the elements of its mathematics education enterprise to make productive use of this connection. In line with this goal, ICMI in conjunction with the International Mathematical Union (IMU), and with the support of UNESCO and ICSU (International Council for Science), promotes the Capacity & Networking Project (CANP). It aims to enhance mathematics education in developing countries by supporting the educational capacity of those responsible for mathematics teachers, and to create sustained regional networks of teachers, mathematics educators and mathematicians, linking them to international support. CANP consists of a programme in a different developing world region every year: each programme has, at its centre, a two-week workshop of about forty participants, half from the host country and half from regional neighbours, who interact with experts in mathematics, mathematics education, and school policy coming from different parts of the world. It is primarily aimed at mathematics teacher educators, but each event includes also mathematicians, researchers, policy makers, and key teachers. The Capacity & Networking Project is a major international initiative in the mathematical sciences in the developing world to help exchange information, share state of the art research, enhance mathematics education and build a sustainable network for policy makers, scholars and practitioners across those targeted regions. The present volume is the first in the series of CANP reports: it is the result of a huge work of elaboration of the original documents presented at CANP-4 workshop, held from September 1st to 12th, 2014 at the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development East Africa, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The event involved more than 80 participants from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda; it was organised in a splendid way thanks to the wonderful work both of the International Programme Committee, and of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), and especially of Anjum Halai, chair of the LOC, and her team. The Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development East Africa supported the event in a number of ways which made it possible to offer such a rich programme. In fact CANP-4 included lectures given by outstanding mathematicians and mathematics educators, regional presentations, workshops, round table discussions, panel presentations, and other parallel activities (school visits, mathematical games, traditional dance, poems). Many hours were devoted to the discussion of the regional reports, which are the germs from which this book was originated, and to the creation of an East Africa Mathematics Education and Research Network, chaired by Alphonse Uworwabayeho from Rwanda who is ably supported by Angelina Bijura from Tanzania.