Poll on teaching maths to 18

[c-a-r-f-r-e-w]

As usual, feel free to add any reasoning

[leftieliberal]

It depends on the syllabus. I don't think that, for example, teaching calculus will benefit anyone who is not already taking Maths to 'A' level, but some elementary statistics would be useful.

[Danny]

Ok, first to vote (edit: or maybe second), and I seem to have inspired the creation of the poll. I'm someone naturally inclined to the sciences/mathematics so did double maths at A level. I see no reason why most people would ever need any of it. And if they did, then it ought to be the ones with initial aptituded for it we are teaching and then employing to apply it.

If on the other hand Sunak believes people are leaving schools without a basic understanding of mathemaics, then the problem is not a lack of post 16 maths teaching. Its a lack of pre 16 maths teaching. This smacks more of having raised the leaving age to 18 and now being faced with people who dont want to learn who however have to be kept controlled somehow, so might as well try to teach them something. But that still doesnt excuse failing to teach them at GCSE age, or indeed at primary age. Best I remember all the mathematics you need to get by for norml life should have been learnt at primary anyway.

Teachers i speak to also do not seem pleased about raising school leaving age to 18. Allowing people to continue their free education to age 18, certainly. But not forcing them to be there when they don't want to be, or indeed may be actively rebellious deliberately undermining discipline within schools.

Someone I know who has taught basic mathematics to post 16s said it was in a context where neither side wanted to be there and pretty abusive. Its pretty obvious that is exactly what is going to happen.

[Mr Poppy]

Ensuring all kids have at least a basic* level of maths skills before they finish full time education would IMO be a very good idea but that is not the same thing as making it compulsory to study maths until 18. As with most things the issue is more complex than a simples polling question but a link that covers some of the issues:

What's the right age to quit maths?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48550862

* I'd expand that to other subjects such as diet, nutrition and exercise. It might have changed but in my day and my kids day for 'food tech' they had you make cakes! WTF!!!

[johntel]

Yes, some form of maths should be taught to 18 - but it should be appropriate to the ability of the pupil and ideally linked to the other subjects the students are studying.

[neilj]

I voted no, reason is that a one size doesn't fit all kids
For example my wife got an O level in maths at 16
She always wanted to b e a nurse so at A level did Chemistry, Human Biology, Psychology and English
Making her do compulsory maths would mean other subjects would necessarily get crowded out

[Mark]

Up until now, there are two groups that take maths up to 18.

The first is a level maths taken by those with an aptitude for the subject and who want to persue it further.

The second is those who did not get their GCSE maths. This is called 'resits'. Many who do not get the GCSE take resits, but, not everyone does.

Some genuinely hate maths and/or struuggle with the subject. That does not mean they can't add up, but, that they struggle with things like trigonomery, quadratic equations etc. Things that are not generally needed for everyday life.

For those currently not tking maths at 16-18, I really cannot see a benefit.

Some have said that a life skills maths, eg, housekeeping, would be useful. I agree with this, and is something that could be taught at a younger age as part of a social studies type course, something I have long supported, but, compulsory from 16-18? When those it would be compulsory for are taking advanced courses in whatever area they have chosen? Can't see that working.

[birdseye]

Maths is a basic life skill - I cringe every time I hear someone say, often with a smile, that they cant "do sums". The same people would be embarrassed to say that they cant read but maths is just as important. Maybe more so since it teaches basic logic.

[pjw1961]

There is a difference between Mathematics and numeracy. The decent level of the latter is useful to everyone in normal life, but Maths (calculus, algebra, geometry and the rest) is not required for most jobs and would simply be a waste of time for most people to study to 18.

[birdseye]

Nov 2, 2023 16:37:40 GMT pjw1961 said:

There is a difference between Mathematics and numeracy. The decent level of the latter is useful to everyone in normal life, but Maths (calculus, algebra, geometry and the rest) is not required for most jobs and would simply be a waste of time for most people to study to 18.

I disagree. That said calculus , algebra and geometry should have been studied and examined by 16 anyway. But the real point about maths is not just the simple skills you list but the training in logic and rationality that it ensures.