School director says safe classrooms can ease maths anxiety

A safe classroom and step-by-step explanations can help reduce maths anxiety, Indrek Kaldo, director of Pärnu Koidula Gymnasium, told ERR’s Raadio 2 programme R2 Hommik.

Kaldo, whose school was named School of the Year 2026, said maths anxiety can arise when students do not know how to solve a problem. Their minds may go blank, leaving them facing an empty sheet of paper, he said.

Teachers should start with easier tasks, explain each step clearly and create an environment where students feel safe, Kaldo said. Anxiety often comes from facing something unfamiliar without knowing how to begin. An anxious student needs help getting started, while a student who is simply uninterested or unmotivated may not want to try, he added.

Kaldo said grades matter less than whether students understand the material.

He said the school has all the maths and physics teachers it needs, and that young people interested in teaching are already queuing to work there. Many of its teachers are former students recruited through personal contacts. Paying teachers well is the biggest motivator for attracting good staff, Kaldo said.