More evidence of dumbing down

[Bagpuss]

Calculators tend to be good at arithmetic, not real maths, like algebra, differentiation, integration, applied maths, etc.

My daughter has been put forward for a maths program by her school. I helped her with one of her test papers the other day, and it was doing stuff that I'm sure I didn't do until well into secondary school. I struggled with quite a few of the questions. And I got an A at maths A Level! She's 11!

So I don't think it's as bad as they make out. They're journalists after all.

If there were no-one able to do the industry required maths then who is doing those jobs ?

answer: a decreasing number of us (uk based). The majority of people working for my client are now chinese immigrants.

Keeps the rates high mind you! :-)

[Moose423956]

who needs maths these days when you have calculators

Calculators tend to be good at arithmetic, not real maths, like algebra, differentiation, integration, applied maths, etc.

My daughter has been put forward for a maths program by her school. I helped her with one of her test papers the other day, and it was doing stuff that I'm sure I didn't do until well into secondary school. I struggled with quite a few of the questions. And I got an A at maths A Level! She's 11!

So I don't think it's as bad as they make out. They're journalists after all.

[milanbenes]

who needs maths these days when you have calculators

and who needs chemistry when all the answers are on google

britain is moving with the times, pretty good achievement

Milan.

[Maxamus]

I think maths is a very important subject. Its an integral part of all sciences and engineering subjects.

But these days people have a problem with basic arithmetic never mind real maths!

The beauty about maths is that the answer is always in the question. You just got to know how to read it !

[The Lone Gunman]

Well considering I was 13 when we did Pythagorus theorem at school this doesn't bode particularly well.

I did a Chemical Process Engineering degree and maths was integral. Over the years, they dropped more and more of the maths part. The change in maths content between the final papers from the 70's to the 90's was extreme. This came under the branding of "modernisation" while moving from a BSc to BEng.

I'm not saying you should compare like for like - you should be wondering why a simple test should be used for a university 1st year students in the UK.

Just as this pops up:

BBC News Online

I am not saying that dumbing down isn't happening, nor do I think the English version was aprticularly suitable, I was just saying that the original piece reads like the tests were the same thing.

When I went to Uni in the early 90s thye had introduced tests to find out what remedial classes would be needed for all kinds of subjects. My head of department found it most annoying that he had to waste precious time on remedial work because the school curriculum had been dumbed down so much that every applicant was achieving the highest entry grades so the Uni couldnt use that as a filter.

[Bagpuss]

How much maths do you need for chemistry?

[threaded]

Well considering I was 13 when we did Pythagorus theorem at school this doesn't bode particularly well.

I'd suggest you start with Thales' Theorem before use of Pythagoras.

[andy]

At this rate science and maths will disappear in the next 10 years
medjaa studies anyone ?

[hyperD]

Well considering I was 13 when we did Pythagorus theorem at school this doesn't bode particularly well.

I did a Chemical Process Engineering degree and maths was integral. Over the years, they dropped more and more of the maths part. The change in maths content between the final papers from the 70's to the 90's was extreme. This came under the branding of "modernisation" while moving from a BSc to BEng.

I'm not saying you should compare like for like - you should be wondering why a simple test should be used for a university 1st year students in the UK.

Just as this pops up:

BBC News Online

[threaded]

£500? Easy money, done it and entered: linq

[Captain Dispensable]

You could have left it at "BBC News".

[The Lone Gunman]

That is a little misleading dont you think?

The chinese one is for students wishing to get onto a maths degree.
The British one is to assess the maths capability of Chemistry students.

I am sure the entry requirements for maths students is much higher.

[hyperD]

BBC News Online

"UK chemistry departments are often world-renowned for their creativity; however, mathematics tests set in England by many universities for undergraduate chemistry students in their first term to diagnose remedial requirements are disconcertingly simple.

"They encapsulate the challenge facing this country," says Dr Pike.