I have been reflecting on the recent policy change in Nigeria, where Mathematics has been removed as an entry requirement for Arts-related disciplines. I must admit, I partly share the sentiment behind it for decolonial reasons. However, the real challenge I have with this policy lies in its extreme application in today’s world of interdisciplinary learning.
Yes, this policy might favour those who feel Mathematics isn’t essential for teaching or learning in the Arts. However, for some of us who work within or advocate for interdisciplinary discourses, such as Digital Humanities, Medical Humanities, and Environmental Humanities. I believe that mathematics education still matters if we want to take these new disciplines seriously.
A basic grounding in Mathematics fosters analytical reasoning, data interpretation, and computational thinking, all of which are increasingly relevant, even within the Arts. I would therefore have preferred a more nuanced approach in applying this policy, one that still requires a minimum of a credit pass in Mathematics for interdisciplinary programmes domiciled within the Faculty of Arts.
We shouldn’t remove one barrier in the name of inclusivity only to create another that limits our students’ future participation in cross-disciplinary collaboration. If we make interdisciplinary courses inaccessible or intimidating to Arts students, we risk leaving them behind in this new era of education.
Without nuance, this policy might eventually create a situation where Science students dominate interdisciplinary spaces, while mainstream Arts disciplines struggle to collaborate effectively with STEM.
In a world where boundaries between disciplines are dissolving, our goal shouldn’t be to rigidly separate the Arts from quantitative reasoning, but to equip Arts scholars to thrive in the interdisciplinary future we are already living in.
Dr Abiodun P. Afolabi
Adekunle Ajasin University,
Akungba-Akoko,
Ondo state.
abiodun.afolabi@aaua.edu.ng