Srinagar, Jan. 4 -- In this very era, a troubling question echoes through classrooms and corridors of learning: why are students increasingly hating mathematics? The irony is striking. Mathematics, once the most loved subject in early schooling, now stands among the most feared as students progress. I still remember the early days of education, the kindergarten years and the primary classes, when students would eagerly pull out their mathematics notebooks from their bags, practicing sums with joy and confidence. Numbers felt friendly, puzzles felt exciting, and learning felt natural. Somewhere after Class five, however, the story begins to change. That turning point is where we must pause, reflect, and act.

In the foundational years, mat...