Majority of Parents believe their children’s attitude to maths is better than when they were a child

Research carried out for Maths Week Ireland 2019 shows that a majority of parents believe their child’s attitude to maths is more positive than their own when they were the same age, while 86% of people believe maths is important in creating future career opportunities for their children.

Maths Week – the all-island festival of maths and numeracy – started on Saturday (12th October) and runs until Sunday 20th October. More details follow below.

The survey was completed in September among 1,000 adults nationwide by Coyne Research for Maths Week Ireland. It asked people for their opinion and attitudes towards mathematics, while those with children were also asked how attitudes towards maths had changed since they were a child:

· 61% of parents believe their child’s attitude towards maths is more positive than the attitude they had to the subject when they were their child’s age.

· 85% of parents believe that if their child is encouraged to have a more positive attitude towards maths, they will be more successful in learning the subject.

· 71% of parents are confident in helping their child with maths and numeracy.

· Half of adults said they or their spouses use maths actively in their jobs.

· Almost two thirds (64%) of all adults said maths plays an important role in their daily life.

· 86% of those with children believe maths education is important in creating career opportunities for their children’s future.

Dr Sheila Donegan, Maths Week Ireland said, “It’s really encouraging to see such a positive attitude towards maths among today’s children and parents. A key message of Maths Week is to encourage parents to support their child’s interest and enjoyment of maths and, as we can see, such skills are hugely beneficial throughout all stages of life.

It’s also great to see that such a high percentage of parents are confident in helping their child with maths. Maths provides positive challenges and engaging in it without fear of failure is crucial to developing an enjoyment of the subject and numeracy in general. Most of all, it’s important to make maths fun! There will be lots of events taking place during Maths Week for children and adults to enjoy. “

Maths Week Ireland is the annual all-island festival dedicated to raising awareness and appreciation of maths and numeracy among young people, parents and the wider population. Over 400,000 people, including students and the general public, will take part in events this week, across the island, focused on driving home the benefits of maths and all the opportunities it brings for individuals, society and the economy.

Maths in the City returns to Dublin for an extravaganza of street maths in College Green at the Bank of Ireland plaza on Saturday, October 19th and a Celebration of Mind takes place on Sunday 20th October at the Pumpkin Festival at the Botanic Gardens Dublin.

There are also public lectures and events at the National Library of Ireland and a Maths Trail in Merrion Square in Dublin which features not only puzzles and games but also Irish mathematicians, in particular, the work of Irish female mathematicians.

Co-ordinated by Calmast, Waterford Institute of Technology’s STEM Engagement Centre, Maths Week is funded through the SFI Discover Programme, Department of Education and Skills, Department for the Economy Northern Ireland and tech firm Xilinx. It is run with more than 50 partner organisations including universities, institutes of technology, libraries, schools, training colleges, visitor centres and employers.

As well as the overall benefits of maths and numeracy, this year’s events are focused on the use of mathematics in the separate fields of climate change and sports. 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of legendary Irish mathematician, George Gabriel Stokes, whose maths is today used to model climate change. Maths Week 2019 has included Stokes’ work in events and information for schools and the general public throughout the festival, including lectures on maths in meteorology and climatology.

Maths Week has also taken a closer look at the major role that maths plays in sports, with special events for upwards of 1,000 students in Croke Park. Transition Year and Senior Cycle students heard from Dr Aoife Hunt who specialises in using maths and statistics to understand the behaviour of large crowds at sports stadiums. Kevin O’Brien, DCU PhD Researcher explained how maths wins matches, examining the use of maths-based technology for training and match-day, while Ravi Vakaria, Project Manager and GAA Operations Lead for Hawkeye, explored how ball tracking has changed decision making in sport.

Some notable Maths Week 2019 events this week include:

· New ways of doing sums with Irish Times columnist Peter Lynch, National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, October 17th.

· Mind your Money, budgeting for primary school pupils in Waterford IT, Thursday, October 17th.

· The Mathematical Life of George Gabriel Stokes, National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, October 17th.

· Maths in the City, Bank of Ireland College Green, Saturday, October 19th.

· Celebration of Mind, Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Sunday, October 20th.

Full programme and details of how to get involved are available on the Maths Week website with ongoing event and programme updates available in advance and throughout Maths Week via Facebook @MathsWeek2019 and Twitter @mathsweek and #mathsweek19