Math Is Fun Forum

Daniel123

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 663

Britain can't do maths

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_a … 467255.ece

What is the world coming to?

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Britain can't do maths

I’d say it has to do with the “dumbing down” of subjects by schools. In the mad competition with other schools over ratings, some schools have cut down or even removed “hard” subjects like maths and physics and encouraged students to take other, “softer” subjects instead. This is just so that these schools can have good exam results from their pupils to show off to other schools.

Well, that’s what I’ve read about recently on the BBC News website. I’ll try and find the links.

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Britain can't do maths

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/educ … 796230.stm

And this article from The Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/educa … 49790.html

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Britain can't do maths

Today’s news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/educ … 828239.stm

random_fruit

Member

Registered: 2008-12-25

Posts: 39

Re: Britain can't do maths

I agree with Jane to some extent, but I also think that the Times has it right when it reports that "Maths just isn't cool."  Until we get over our anti-science bias, we will continue to have our children and young adults looking away from maths and science. 

Ten to fifteen years ago, before Maggie Thatcher became PM, I heard an interview on BBC Radio 4 "Today" programme (that's a weekday breakfast-time news and current affairs programme on the radio) where someone said "The trouble with the UK is that it's a business and industry country with an anti-business bias."  Maggie made it OK to be keen on business, and gave us the yuppie 80s and 90s.  What we need today (if my thought is correct) is a similar "Maths is cool, Science is cool" movement in the UK.

Anyone agree?

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Britain can't do maths

Ten to fifteen years ago, before Maggie Thatcher became PM

Ten to fifteen years ago was not before Maggie became PM.

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,384

Re: Britain can't do maths

Thats right!
She was the Prime Minister from 4 May, 1979 to 28 November, 1990.
Regarding the subject, it isn't right to dilute the contents of a subject or make the examinations easier to get better results. This move may backfire when candidates compete at global level. It may result in a dearth of talent where most required. I think the better way is conduct a study on the syllabi and examinations at the same level in countries like US, Canada, France, Australia, India, China, Japan,  Singapore, Germany etc. for different age groups.
By ensuring uniformity, the inferences drawn would help better in decision making.

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It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.