Abstract
Quality primary education is one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Undoubtedly, mathematics plays a key role in overcoming future challenges, and mathematical competence and problem-solving skills could help provide appropriate solutions to current and future social, environmental and economic challenges. The following paper deals with Sustainability in Basic Mathematics Education as a great number of students experience anxiety in learning mathematics. The literature-based research text explores the following question: How should a sustainable primary education in mathematics be implemented and which concrete pedagogical initiatives need to be taken? The present article addresses why some students encounter challenges in learning mathematics at the beginning of their education in school. Moreover, it demonstrates how competent teaching could decrease students’ difficulties and in learning mathematics.