Speech at a Gala Dinner to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Irish Mathematics Teachers’ Association
Speech by President Michael D. Higgins to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Irish Mathematics Teachers’ Association
Tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo tráthnóna chun chothrom caoga bliain bhunú Chumann Oidí Matamaitice na hÉireann a chomóradh; ar chumann é a raibh duine de mo réamhtheachtaithe mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, Eamonn de Valera ina chéad phatrún aige.
[I am delighted to be here this evening as you mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Mathematics Teachers’ Association; an association which had, as its first patron, one of my predecessors as Uachtarain na hEireann, Eamonn de Valera].
I would like to thank your Chairperson, Séan MacCormaic, for his invitation to Sabina and me to join you tonight at this gala banquet, and all of you for the very warm welcome we have received.
I was most interested while preparing to attend this event, to read a newsletter prepared by the Association during the year of its foundation – 1964. The paper was old and the typescript quite faint and it was no doubt written on an old Imperial typewriter such as we now see in antique shops, and which I am sure none of you here could possibly remember. But the words resounded with a contemporaneous tone and the aim of the Association remains as relevant today as it did during that first gathering in Newman House fifty years ago – ‘to further the study and teaching of Mathematics, and to foster co-operation among teachers at all levels’.
Today that aim sits as pertinently on your website as it did on that sepia toned page of long ago, reminding us that while its aim has remained steadfast, the Association has continued to progress and develop in a rapidly changing environment.
I know that one of the questions which most challenges mathematics teachers, and which I am sure many of you dread hearing is “why do I need to know this”? While the question may not have changed over the years, I am sure that the answer is one which must constantly be adapted and developed and made relevant to the world in which each generation of questioners live.
Indeed there can be no doubt that a central challenge for teachers of mathematics is not only that of inspiring students to understand the intrinsic worth of mathematics as an intellectual pursuit, but also to enable them to comprehend its role as a powerful tool in understanding and appreciating the manner in which the world around them operates.
We are, indeed, living in a very different world from the one inhabited by those who attended that inaugural meeting of the Association in January 1964. While a fundamental grasp of mathematics has always been an essential tool for rational and analytical thinking, and a powerful aid to the development of problem solving skills, today in a global and knowledge based economy it is also an essential competence for many of the disciplines which are fundamental to Ireland’s continued economic growth and competitiveness. In addition, mathematics has been identified at EU level as one of the key competencies for personal fulfilment, active citizenship, social inclusion and employability in the knowledge society which we, as global citizens, now inhabit.
I speak often of the task of working to build together an active, inclusive citizenship; where all citizens will be enabled to participate and realise their full possibilities; a citizenship which must define any truly democratic republic. If we are to build such a citizenship we must ensure that our young people are equipped with the necessary fundamental tools on their journey through life, enabling them to fully engage and interact with society, and to play their part in their communities, making their own important contribution to those communities and to their society as a whole.
We live in an age when important policy issues in areas such as economics, finance, public health or scientific research are presented as being technical concerns, which are beyond the comprehension of the citizens affected. It is critical, therefore, that we develop and encourage confident, resourceful and enthusiastic maths students in both our primary and post primary classrooms, who are empowered with the skills and knowledge to engage critically with the world around them and to see the appropriate use of mathematics in model building and statistical description. This commitment to nurturing life-long skills is something that I know lies at the heart of your work.
It is a commitment that is evident in the theme of your Mathsfest this weekend: Celebrating the past, embracing the present and preparing for future change’ , and also in the vibrant programme that was prepared for this event. It is a programme that demonstrates the real will that exists amongst those who work in the field of mathematical education to innovate, reconsider and indeed question the status quo as they seek to know more and constantly progress the teaching of mathematics in this country.
It is also a programme that reflects a genuine and ongoing desire to work together and forge relationships between schools and mathematics teachers across the country.
Each member of the Irish Mathematics Teachers Association has clearly demonstrated their understanding of the importance of creating a spirit of community between those involved in the policy and practice of primary and post primary mathematical education in Ireland and may I take this opportunity to commend you for that.
Indeed, throughout the years since its foundation the Association has constantly worked to develop partnerships with key stakeholders in the field of education such as the Department of Education and Skills, the State Examinations Commission and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, demonstrating a profound understanding of just how much can be achieved when interested groups come together in a spirit of co-operation in order to work towards common goals.
It is this understanding that really lies at the heart of the ethos of the Association and there can be no doubt that, as a society, we owe a strong debt of gratitude and appreciation to the Irish Mathematics Teachers Association. By providing educators with valuable opportunities to share experiences, discuss new ideas, and move those ideas from proposals to reality while providing support to each other as they carry out their day to day roles, the Association is an enormously important resource in ensuring the constant improvement of mathematical education here in Ireland.
I thank you for that and I thank you all once again for welcoming me here this evening.
I know you have been working your way through a varied and highly interesting programme, and I trust much fruitful discussion and thought has grown from this important event.
Mar fhocal scoir, ba mhaith liom gach rath a ghuí ar bhur gcuid oibre ríthábhachtaí agus go mbeidh tráthnóna fíor-thaitneamhach a bheith agaibh chun bhur gcomóradh suntasach a cheiliúradh.
I would like to conclude by wishing you every success with your critical work and a most enjoyable evening as you celebrate your significant anniversary.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.