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This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the role of mathematics in everyday life and the pivotal function of mathematics teachers in fostering mathematical understanding and competence. Mathematics plays a crucial role in everyday life, enhancing decision-making, financial management, problem-solving, and critical thinking. The ubiquitous presence of mathematics in activities such as budgeting, cooking, shopping, and planning underscores its importance. Mathematics is essential for good governance, as it underpins data-driven decision-making, policy formulation, economic planning, and resource allocation. Recommendations for promoting mathematical proficiency include integrating real-world applications into the curriculum, offering professional development for teachers, and encouraging collaborative learning. Such measures can enhance mathematical literacy, contributing to personal development, societal progress, and effective governance. Mathematics, with its rich historical roots stretching back to ancient civilizations, has evolved into a broad discipline encompassing various branches such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus. Each branch plays a crucial role in practical applications ranging from personal finance and cooking to navigation and health monitoring. Effective mathematics education, however, hinges on the proficiency and dedication of mathematics teachers who not only impart theoretical knowledge but also cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in their students. To optimize performance in high-stakes assessments like the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Mathematics examination, it is essential to employ diverse instructional strategies, integrate technology, and provide continuous practice and assessment. It is recommended that governments should support teachers through robust remuneration, timely salary payments, and ongoing professional development to sustain motivation and high-quality instruction. Furthermore, the establishment of mathematics laboratories in schools is recommended to enhance practical learning experiences and deepen students' understanding of mathematical concepts. In the realm of governance, mathematics is indispensable for data analysis, policy formulation, and strategic planning. By addressing these areas comprehensively, we can create an educational environment that not only demystifies mathematics and reduces associated phobias but also prepares students to excel academically and apply mathematical principles effectively in their daily lives and future careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education with science and mathematics as its major components determines the level of welfare of people and a nation. Nowadays, great attention is given to technological advancements and mathematics education. Hence, this paper explicitly discusses the use of mathematics laboratories and their implication for teaching mathematics, finding out the practices and impact on teaching mathematics and teachers' frequency of using teaching aids (manipulatives) in high schools of Mekelle zone. Manipulatives are valuable aid to teachers that can be used by analyzing students' concrete representations of mathematical concepts. In addition to this, topics like geometry and measurement are topics that are frequently taught using tools. On the contrary, solving equations, relations, and functions is rarely taught using these manipulatives. This study indicates that there is no direct correlation between teachers' teaching experience years and the use of manipulatives in their classrooms. It is, therefore, recommended that mathematics teachers should get training and workshops on the use of teaching aids (manipulatives), useful software like (geogebra, sketchpad, and other timely used technologies) and other methods of teaching mathematics in mathematics laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]