With a growing concern around the decline in math performance on the island, the Sandals Foundation has partnered with the Saint Lucia Seventh-Day Adventist Academy to engage over a hundred students in a year-long math programme.
With the programme affording students the opportunity to access additional tools such as mathematics educational games and videos, and additional practice questions, the educators have noted positive outcomes.
“Since we began the Conquer Math programme in February, teachers have noticed an increase in student participation to learn and complete exercises on concepts covered, as well as increased efforts from weaker students to attempt questions on exams, allowing them to obtain better grades,” explained Agnel Gabriel, Vice Principal, Saint Lucia Seventh-Day Adventist Academy.
She also noted that the school has seen a significant increase in the June 2022 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics examination.
“These tools aided in the students’ understanding of difficult mathematical concepts and improved their critical thinking skills—they can now solve math problems mentally.
It also gave Mathematics teachers more options for providing additional practice and reinforcement of concepts to students, thereby increasing their confidence in the subject. No wonder we have seen a tremendous increase in the June 2022 CSEC Math exam,” said Gabriel.
The Conquer Math programme is a year-long initiative that uses technology in the form of games and videos to make math lessons more interactive for students and teachers. Initially, it was intended to assist in filling gaps in the subject area during the pandemic.
With the programme’s current successes, the institution will continue to use the technology to help more students overcome their fears of math and enhance their numeracy skills.
Natasha Burnett, Public Relations Officer at Sandals Foundation, discussed the significance of Sandals Resorts International’s charitable arm supporting this programme.
“At the Sandals Foundation, we believe that giving students access to the tools and resources they need to develop holistically is important. Through this programme, we’ve seen how the integration of digital tools has improved the teaching and learning process, allowing students to develop logical reasoning, improve problem-solving abilities, and have fun – all while increasing their numeracy rates.”
Sandals Foundation, Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort, Sandals Halcyon Beach, and Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa have long been supporters of education in Saint Lucia, strengthening infrastructure and donating much-needed resources to a number of schools across the island.
SOURCE: Sandals Foundation. Headline photo courtesy Santi Vedrà (Unsplash).
This is a wonderful start, and should be available to all schools on the Island. If there is such for Mathematics, then why not for Science, English and other Subjects.
Before the ‘ Dreamers of yester-year ‘ begin to influence persons in teaching Creol-Patois let it be known that time is not in their favour. The competition today in education is that of you against Asian and Oriental Students; who do not (unfortunately) have our usual Sabbath day of worship and Prayer. Because of their upbringing they spend most of these available time in the books.
Why is it in St. Lucia, so many of our young men are found dead or locked away in Prison, spend most of their available time in Gangs, rather in some Sports, or in Gardening, Fishing or better still in after school Library? The Governors, Educators, Ministers and teachers etc must set out standards for the ‘Nation’ of tomorrow; death, lame, Jail or a proud outstanding, successful Lady and Gentleman in the society.
This 2022 year is over – I beg for the well being of this Nation, not to start and finish the next year as you did this year. Shame has been brought to this nation, I hate to point finger to any one cause; you may blame me for saying – Godlessness = lawlessness – it is true whether you agree or not. Open the good Book, call on the Lord.
not again
Great initiative…one wonders why our people are so poor in critical thinking it’s because they can’t use their brains to think critically which maths requires….math is a subject of logic and it shows…many Saint Lucian can’t think logically and hence why our politics are so divided, why people believe in the pie in the sky god, why even though English is our main language, yet most people struggle to speak it properly or even express themselves or an idea effectively….it shows … the brain is stiff and can’t logically navigate the concepts found in maths…. hopefully the next generation of thinkers will change that trend be more successful at critical thinking….
Hmmmmm way to go Sandals another great initiative. Well boy all the prase going to those other hotels in those glossy magazines and not one of them doing all that Sandals is doing. I hope Sandals could do more than one hundred per year that would be so good for our youths, maths is an important advantage. I would encourage all who could get a slice of this to enhance their skill sets do so. If you are a gardener bartender housekeeper take advantage of whatever is offered or afforded to you there, because the day Sandals is no more and another company comes in none of this will not be available to you and only then Lucians will have appreciation for Sandals.