Not Just the US With Education Problems

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7435023.stm

The British are uniquely happy to admit being bad at maths, says a report.
Why is that and how can attitudes change?

Imagine a famous television presenter joking that they couldn't read.

It's an unlikely scenario, such would be their embarrassment, yet no such
reservations exist for mathematics, with self-confessed innumerates popping
up regularly.

"I've always been rubbish at maths" is usually accompanied by a cheeky grin.
The subtext is "I'm no boffin."

A report this week by think-tank Reform laments the drop in numbers of
people taking maths A-level, at an estimated cost to the economy of £9bn.

"The UK remains one of the few advanced nations where it is socially
acceptable, fashionable even, to profess an inability to cope with maths,"
it says, despite a maths A-level putting on average an extra £10,000 a year
on a salary.


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: School maths standards
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    (comp.dsp)
  • Re: Not Just the US With Education Problems
    ... The British are uniquely happy to admit being bad at maths, says a report. ... Imagine a famous television presenter joking that they couldn't read. ... people taking maths A-level, at an estimated cost to the economy of £9bn. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • School maths standards
    ... There seems to have been a spat of reports in the media about schools in various countries encouraging children to avoid anything hard, particularly maths. ... There was a BBC report about UK universities needing to run remedial maths classes. ... Most countries have expanded university entrance over the years. ...
    (comp.dsp)
  • Re: Too much maths taught to test
    ... strangely enough the topic was maths related. ... had Steve read the whole report he'd have seen part of the problem ... schools, especially where there is a shortage of specialist teachers.* That ... The article seems to favour the notion that pupils were taught to pass ...
    (uk.radio.amateur)
  • Re: Not Just the US With Education Problems
    ... The British are uniquely happy to admit being bad at maths, says a report. ... reservations exist for mathematics, with self-confessed innumerates popping ... "I've always been rubbish at maths" is usually accompanied by a cheeky grin. ... people taking maths A-level, at an estimated cost to the economy of £9bn. ...
    (talk.origins)