This document provides a critical evaluation of the mathematics curriculum used at the secondary school level in India. It summarizes the key perspectives on mathematics education from the National Curriculum Framework 2005 and 2020. It identifies several issues with the current curriculum, including that it is too heavy, theoretical, and examination-focused for students transitioning from middle to secondary school. The curriculum also lacks integration across subjects and creative activities. It is recommended that the curriculum be made more flexible, relevant to students' daily lives, and address varied learning needs.

1. Critical evaluation of the curriculum
in use in Mathematics at the
Secondary stage.
By: Anakha and Apurva
Session: B.Ed 1st Year (2021-23)
Teaching of Mathematics
Submitted to: Dr. Sulekha Ram

2. It is recognized that mathematics and mathematical thinking will be
very important for India’s future and India’s leadership role in the
numerous upcoming fields and professions that will involve artificial
intelligence, machine learning, and data science, etc. Thus,
mathematics and computational thinking will be given increased
emphasis throughout the school years, starting with the foundational
stage, through a variety of innovative methods, including the regular
use of puzzles and games that make mathematical thinking more
enjoyable and engaging. Activities involving coding will be introduced
in Middle Stage.” [NEP 2020, 4.25]

3. NCF 2005
 Developing children's abilities for mathematisation is the main goal of mathematics
education at school level.
 There are two kinds of aim regarding the subject Mathematics:
• Narrow aim: To develop 'useful' capabilities, particularly those relating to numeracy–
numbers, number operations, measurements, decimals and percentages.
• Higher aim: To develop the child's resources to think and reason mathematically, to
pursue assumptions to their logical conclusion and to handle abstraction.
 NCF 2005 is in favour of a broader-based curriculum with more topics that starts from the
basics. This will serve the needs of different learners better.

4. Curricular structure of
Mathematics
(NCF 2005)
Pre-primary stage
(Play way method)
• Counting
• Number sequence
• Quantities
• Identifying shapes
Primary Stage
(Games, puzzles and
stories)
• Basic arithmetic
• Spatial
understanding
• Measurement and
data handling
• Concrete and
abstract concepts
Middle stage
• Algebra
• Data handling,
representation and
interpretation.
• Application of
abstract concepts
Secondary Stage-
Mathematics as a
discipline.
Higher Secondary
Stage-
Application of
Mathematics

5.  As mathematics is a compulsory subject at the secondary stage, access to quality
mathematics education is the right of every child.
 Students develop problem solving ability at this stage by integrating concepts learnt
previously.
 Mathematical modelling, data analysis and interpretation taught at this stage can
consolidate a high level of mathematical literacy.
 Individual and group exploration of connections and patterns, visualization and
generalization, and making and proving conjectures are important at this stage, and
can be encouraged through the use of appropriate tools that include concrete
models as in Mathematics laboratories and computers.

6.  ‘School Education Reforms in Delhi 2015-2020', report was released by Boston
Consultancy Group during the Delhi Education Conference on January 11, 2021.
 Poor pass percentage among Class IX students has been listed as one of the challenges
for Delhi government schools.
 Analyses of government school results have shown, in class 9 too, mathematics is a
weak point — 19 per cent failed only in maths, and 14.7 per cent failed in science and
maths.
 “About 80 per cent of the students do not opt for maths in class 11 and 12.”

7.  Syllabus is too heavy for students entering Class 9, especially after experiencing a no-
detention policy till Class 8.
 The transition from middle to secondary stage should be smooth.
 Too many geometrical proofs, theorems and axioms in Class 9 can cause boredom
among the students. A balance between the numerical part and the theoretical part
must be maintained.
 NCF talks about teaching relevant and important mathematics embedded in the child’s
experience. Curriculum should be designed in such a way that the students and society
can use it in their daily life and students should be aware of its practical application.

8.  Curriculum should be flexible and should fulfil varying needs of the child.
 It doesn’t give due importance to differentially abled children.
 Cognitive, affective and psychomotor domain must all be considered while
determining the objectives (usually affective domain is neglected).
 The syllabus for several competitive exams consists of topics like permutation and
combination, fundamental principle of counting, mathematical reasoning etc. which
are introduced in Class 11, whereas these topics should be introduced at the
secondary stage itself.
 Tall shape of Mathematics can be de-emphasized in favor of a broader-based
curriculum.

9.  Topics and activities in mathematics should not remain isolated, rather it should
be integrated with other school subjects.
 A reorientation of the curriculum towards addressing the 'higher aims'
mentioned previously will make better use of the time that children spend in
school in terms of the problem-solving and analytical skills that it builds, and in
preparing children to better meet a wide variety of problems in life.
 The mathematics curriculum lacks creative activities.
 Present curriculum is too much examination-oriented.