The round table "What About Math?" held at TalTech ended with a vote. The answer to rector Tiit Land's question was quite unanimous: almost all the parties involved were in favor of the need to merge narrow and broad mathematics.
It became even more clear from the panel discussion and the results of the group dialogues that a new chapter is needed in the teaching of mathematics in Estonia. Math must be integrated with technology education, but it could also be integrated into other subjects, linked to entrepreneurship and financial wisdom. Exam-centeredness of the subject and students' fear of failure should decrease, understanding of math as an art of thinking should increase. It is also necessary to change attitudes in society, including those of parents, to better understand and motivate teachers.
It is not only a question of students' knowledge, skills, and possible choices – Estonia needs numerous experts in technical fields, but many young people have neither the interest nor the opportunity to study these fields at university.
The exchange of ideas, heated at times, was led by Urmas Vaino, senior consultant of Meta Advisory, and was attended by Arto Aas, CEO of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation; Ivar Annus, TalTech professor of engineering; Jüri Kurvits, mathematician, lecturer at TalTech and Tallinn University; Helle Hallik, Chief Expert at Ministry of Education and Research; Liina Altroff, director of Jüri Gymnasium, Kristin Parve, mathematics teacher at Viimsi Gymnasium and Maria Rohumaa, senior at Viimsi Gymnasium.
In addition, the discussions at the round table "What about math?" actually took place at the round-shaped tables. High school students, university students, lecturers and deans, representatives of employers, school principals and teachers sat around six tables. The proposals of the groups were collected and recorded, they are used as a source for further discussions as well as for proposals submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research.