Schoolchildren drop Maths because of Test driven Lessons.

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor

7:30AM GMT 04 Mar 2012
97 Comments


Prof Stephen Sparks said that few pupils took maths beyond the age of 16 after being “put off” by test-driven lessons in primary and secondary school.

He said classes often focused on the dry “procedures” behind sums to make sure children pass exams instead of passing on a well-rounded understanding of the subject.

Only one in eight teenagers studies maths in the sixth-form, leaving Britain trailing behind many other developed nations. Between 50 and 100 per cent of teenagers in other countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Fin-

land, Japan and Korea, study maths to a decent level, the figures show. Prof Sparks, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME), which represents academics and teachers, said the number of pupils failing to take A-level maths “puts us at a real anomaly internationally and likely affects our economic competitiveness”.

The comments came as The Daily Telegraph started a campaign, Make Britain Count, to highlight the scale of the mathematical crisis and provide parents with tools to boost their children’s numeracy

Panda wrote:By Graeme Paton, Education Editor

7:30AM GMT 04 Mar 2012
97 Comments


Prof Stephen Sparks said that few pupils took maths beyond the age of 16 after being “put off” by test-driven lessons in primary and secondary school.

He said classes often focused on the dry “procedures” behind sums to make sure children pass exams instead of passing on a well-rounded understanding of the subject.

Only one in eight teenagers studies maths in the sixth-form, leaving Britain trailing behind many other developed nations. Between 50 and 100 per cent of teenagers in other countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Fin-

land, Japan and Korea, study maths to a decent level, the figures show. Prof Sparks, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME), which represents academics and teachers, said the number of pupils failing to take A-level maths “puts us at a real anomaly internationally and likely affects our economic competitiveness”.

The comments came as The Daily Telegraph started a campaign, Make Britain Count, to highlight the scale of the mathematical crisis and provide parents with tools to boost their children’s numeracy

A friend of mine who worked in a factory steel stores told me they had to get rid of a school leaver who couldn't work out how to cut steel bar into the required lengths in a power saw.

Post-16 so many drop maths because there are much easier ways to get GCSEs. Health and Social Care, for example: complete a certain number of modules for the equivalent of 2 and a couple more modules for the equivalent of 4 GCSEs. Easy-peasy with 2 years to do the coursework and so much teacher input everybody should get the 4 if they're sensible enough to follow the teacher's advice. Throw in Food Tech and maybe Resistant Materials, and someone could end up with 8 GCSEs and still be semi-literate.

malena stool wrote:

Panda wrote:By Graeme Paton, Education Editor

7:30AM GMT 04 Mar 2012
97 Comments


Prof Stephen Sparks said that few pupils took maths beyond the age of 16 after being “put off” by test-driven lessons in primary and secondary school.

He said classes often focused on the dry “procedures” behind sums to make sure children pass exams instead of passing on a well-rounded understanding of the subject.

Only one in eight teenagers studies maths in the sixth-form, leaving Britain trailing behind many other developed nations. Between 50 and 100 per cent of teenagers in other countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Fin-

land, Japan and Korea, study maths to a decent level, the figures show. Prof Sparks, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME), which represents academics and teachers, said the number of pupils failing to take A-level maths “puts us at a real anomaly internationally and likely affects our economic competitiveness”.

The comments came as The Daily Telegraph started a campaign, Make Britain Count, to highlight the scale of the mathematical crisis and provide parents with tools to boost their children’s numeracy

A friend of mine who worked in a factory steel stores told me they had to get rid of a school leaver who couldn't work out how to cut steel bar into the required lengths in a power saw.

I know, Britain is 18th in Europe for Education, that really is disgraceful.

SOME PEOPLE,I HAVE HEARD HAVE QUALIFICATIONS IN ENGLISH,EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN'T READ AND WRITE ENGLISH AND/OR ILLERATE.

I failed my English O Level three times before finally passing it which i needed to do to go on to A level 6th form and then Uni (they advised me to take Religious Knowledge as that was a written subject so it counts and i passed that).
I ended up with loads of O and A levels and now many profeshonal qualificashions but i cannot spell for the life of me,as some on here will surely have noticed.

Lioned wrote:I failed my English O Level three times before finally passing it which i needed to do to go on to A level 6th form and then Uni (they advised me to take Religious Knowledge as that was a written subject so it counts and i passed that).
I ended up with loads of O and A levels and now many profeshonal qualificashions but i cannot spell for the life of me,as some on here will surely have noticed.

Know I adnt reerly notisd yore spelllin wos nott verri gud lyonnd...

Lioned wrote:I failed my English O Level three times before finally passing it which i needed to do to go on to A level 6th form and then Uni (they advised me to take Religious Knowledge as that was a written subject so it counts and i passed that).
I ended up with loads of O and A levels and now many profeshonal qualificashions but i cannot spell for the life of me,as some on here will surely have noticed.

The problem is Lioned, even basic education seems to have disappeared. Years ago when I used to try and help my Sons with their Homework , it was
phonetic spelling ah bu Ku instead of a b c. Maths is not considered necessary because Calculators have taken over ....I could go on. !! The number of
times before automatic tills that I watched Sales assistants write down sums I could do in my Head. Britain is 18th in Europe, that really is disgusting.

Standards are horribly low. And it's not just in the UK. Not at all. The things I see everyday.

They also say that more kids are going to primary school in nappys ! And parents say its the schools job to potty train them !

IT IS ALSO SAID THAT A LOT OF CHILDREN GOING TO CAN'T TIE UP THEIR OWN LACES ETC.

Lioned wrote:They also say that more kids are going to primary school in nappys ! And parents say its the schools job to potty train them !

I was utterly gobsmacked when I heard that on the radio today! Kids going to school who haven't been toilet trained! Unbelievable!

Lioned wrote:They also say that more kids are going to primary school in nappys ! And parents say its the schools job to potty train them !

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS,MAN(APOLOGIES TO MR MCENROE)

Claudia79 wrote:Standards are horribly low. And it's not just in the UK. Not at all. The things I see everyday.

And what I hear on the radio, Claudia. A journalist was being interviewed on Radio 4 and he said, "I was stood..." He was stood? What?!! So, who stood him? Or maybe he actually meant he was standing!

Lioned wrote:They also say that more kids are going to primary school in nappys ! And parents say its the schools job to potty train them !

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS,MAN(APOLOGIES TO MR MCENROE)

Badboy wrote:

Lioned wrote:They also say that more kids are going to primary school in nappys ! And parents say its the schools job to potty train them !

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS,MAN(APOLOGIES TO MR MCENROE)

It's true, Badboy! I heard a discussion about this on Radio 4 today.

WHATEVER NEXT,THEY CAN'T SPEAK PROPERBLY

IDEA;SHOULD SOME PARENTS BE PARENTS IF THEY CAN'T GET THEIR CHILDREN TO DO THE BASICS LIKE TOILET TRAIN THEM OR TEACH THEM TO DO THEIR LACES UP.

Badboy wrote:IDEA;SHOULD SOME PARENTS BE PARENTS IF THEY CAN'T GET THEIR CHILDREN TO DO THE BASICS LIKE TOILET TRAIN THEM OR TEACH THEM TO DO THEIR LACES UP.

Some parents aren't ready to be parents when they have their children, they use them purely to get a roof over their heads and a means to a steady income.

AnnaEsse wrote:

Claudia79 wrote:Standards are horribly low. And it's not just in the UK. Not at all. The things I see everyday.

And what I hear on the radio, Claudia. A journalist was being interviewed on Radio 4 and he said, "I was stood..." He was stood? What?!! So, who stood him? Or maybe he actually meant he was standing!

And I complain about my kids! Yikes!

Claudia79 wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:

Claudia79 wrote:Standards are horribly low. And it's not just in the UK. Not at all. The things I see everyday.

And what I hear on the radio, Claudia. A journalist was being interviewed on Radio 4 and he said, "I was stood..." He was stood? What?!! So, who stood him? Or maybe he actually meant he was standing!

And I complain about my kids! Yikes!

One of the most common mistakes which I hear is the mix up between the verbs to lie and to lay. So many people say, "I was laying on the bed/on the chair," to which the obvious questions are, "What were you laying? An egg?"

AnnaEsse wrote:

Claudia79 wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:

Claudia79 wrote:Standards are horribly low. And it's not just in the UK. Not at all. The things I see everyday.

And what I hear on the radio, Claudia. A journalist was being interviewed on Radio 4 and he said, "I was stood..." He was stood? What?!! So, who stood him? Or maybe he actually meant he was standing!

And I complain about my kids! Yikes!

One of the most common mistakes which I hear is the mix up between the verbs to lie and to lay. So many people say, "I was laying on the bed/on the chair," to which the obvious questions are, "What were you laying? An egg?"

That one I'm used to because I teach it. But I cut the kids some slack as they're learning it as a second or in some cases a third language!

This is a true story. Several years ago I was visiting a friend living in London who was a Deputy Head Mistress of a School in Kilburn, very ethnic population. anyway, she took me to the School with her one day and one of the Teachers asked if I would like to help with the infants. I sat at a table
where there were about a dozen infants playing put the tail on the donkey with a paper dice. Every time the dice ended up on 2 so after a while I picked
it up and every facet showed 2.!!!! When the Teacher came I asked why and he said it was for the children not to become too competetive.??????
also, it was very surprising when I later helped the juniors with their coats that 6 and 7 year olds were placing their jackets on the floor, with the arms
outstretched, laying on the open jackets and sliding their arms into the sleeves then standing up and doing the zips or buttons up....unbelievable.!!!!

Claudia79 wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:

Claudia79 wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:

Claudia79 wrote:Standards are horribly low. And it's not just in the UK. Not at all. The things I see everyday.

And what I hear on the radio, Claudia. A journalist was being interviewed on Radio 4 and he said, "I was stood..." He was stood? What?!! So, who stood him? Or maybe he actually meant he was standing!

And I complain about my kids! Yikes!

One of the most common mistakes which I hear is the mix up between the verbs to lie and to lay. So many people say, "I was laying on the bed/on the chair," to which the obvious questions are, "What were you laying? An egg?"

That one I'm used to because I teach it. But I cut the kids some slack as they're learning it as a second or in some cases a third language!

I'd cut them some slack too because it's obviously quite easy to mix up those verbs when you hear native English speakers!

ITS IN ONE OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ABOUT THIS SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NAPPIES.