GoTEK SFR1M44-U100...

[dwight]

One thing that bothers me is the continued emphasis on arithmetic and not on mathematics. The kids growing up today will rarely be more than a few feet from a calculator. The first thing on the math test was the "No calculator allowed". I'm not saying that they shouldn't be taught arithmetic but it should be the minimum necessary to recreate a multiplication, square, divide or what ever table. Knowing what 43 * 67 is on an exam is useless in determining if the kid can learn calculus or understand how it relates to the real world.

About the hardest math a person might need to know how do do by themselves it to figure the tip at a restaurant. And even then, if the cell phone is charged it will do it for them.

Dwight


________________________________
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> on behalf of Liam Proven via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2018 4:33:02 AM
To: Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: GoTEK SFR1M44-U100...

On Tue, 17 Jul 2018 at 19:43, Peter Corlett via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> That's an extraordinary claim that sets off my bullshit detector. Snopes offers
> this commentary: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/1895-exam/
>
> 50-100 years before you were at school would be roughly 1870-1920, which is
> right at the start of both state-provided schools and compulsory education. The
> UK only raised the school leaving age to 11 in 1893. Truancy was rife, because
> parents still expected their children to work instead and contribute to the
> household. The average child was very poorly educated if at all.
>
> Children actually taking examinations at age 11 are already on the academic
> track for those who are both clever and rich enough to continue their education
> further. It may even be the entrance exam for a posh public school. Your
> average working-class oik is never going to get anywhere near that exam paper.

It's a fair point, and one that did occur to me, but I didn't want to
be even _more_ prolix and hedge it about with disclaimers.

Yes, education for all is a relatively modern thing. In the days when
it was for the elite few, well, I suppose it *would* be more tailored
for the elite, and thus would be challenging to non-elite, even
generations later.

But I am nonetheless surprised at by just how much.

> For fun, have a crack at some of the recent exam papers given to 13 year olds
> hoping for a scholarship: https://www.etoncollege.com/KSpapers.aspx

... wow.

--
Liam Proven - Profile: https://about.me/liamproven
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk - Google Mail/Hangouts/Plus: lproven at gmail.com
Twitter/Facebook/Flickr: lproven - Skype/LinkedIn: liamproven
UK: +44 7939-087884 - ČR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053