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Math scores in Calgary and across Alberta continue to decline, according to the most recent standardized test results, as parents make a desperate plea to eliminate the new inquiry-based curriculum.

“Math is really important,” said Althea Adams, spokeswoman for the Calgary Association of Parent and School Councils. “Kids need to succeed in it at a high level in order to do all the things they want to do with their lives.

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“There’s a lot of frustration with Discovery Math. There is clearly a problem, a huge problem with scores, and parents are deeply concerned.”

Discovery Math, or inquiry-based learning, was introduced at elementary levels about six years ago, teaching a new approach to math that has frustrated parents and many of their kids.

Students are asked to approach basic problems in several different ways. For instance, they may have to illustrate five different solutions to 5×3 instead of just memorizing the answer and moving to more complex math such as division or fractions.

Parents argue there isn’t enough balance between memorizing facts and problem-solving.

Shawna Torres, who moved her son from one school to another over frustration with Discovery Math, says educators need to realize declining scores are a direct result of a curriculum that isn’t working.