Manitoba teens among worst in math skills

Math scores amongManitoba teens have plummeted since 2003, putting the province nearthebottom of Canadian provinces.

The scores come from an international study of math skills among teens aged 15 and 16.

• Canada's students slipping in math and science, OECD finds
• TRYTHE TEST: Click to answer sample questions

Canada was among 65 countries and economies participating in the assessment by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which takes place every three years. Thereport, released Tuesday, covers findings of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA from 2012.

Quebec students performed the best in Canada while students in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia performed at the Canadian average.

In Manitoba, the proportion of students that have failed to obtain even the most basic skills doubled in the past nine years, according to theOECD.

University of Winnipeg math professor and advocate of back-to-basics teaching, Anna Stokke, saidshe's not surprised.

She blames the result on the province adopting a radical curriculum that taught students multiple strategies for simple math, which she says was confusing for parents and students alike.

• New math equals trouble, education expert says
• Fight for old-style math education, group urges

"Something that should be really simple ends up being really complicatedand I think it's a huge mistake because math doesn't have to be that difficult. But it does have to be taught properly," Stokke said.

That confusing curriculum was officially adopted in 2008, though some teachers had been using it prior to then, according to Education Minister JamesAllum.

He has seen the OECD report and said the results are concerning and he hopes the trend can be turned around.

"We take that very very seriously. Ifind it quite unacceptable and so we want to go out and start making a difference," he said.

As ofSeptember this year, Manitobastudents from Kindergarten to Grade 8 went back to some of the old ways of learning math as the province realized its ways weren't working.