Exam preview: Today - MathsKevin Myers is wrong. Maths is part of what we are, argues ASTI deputy general secretary John White
There is little doubt that Kevin Myers's recent, thought-provoking article in The Irish Times, in which he questioned the emphasis placed on mathematics in our education system, struck a sympathetic chord in mathophobes whose experience of mathematics consisted of hours of blank incomprehension dealing with "cosines and algebraic abstracts".
He states that for many pupils the "useless hours spent on Euclid" would have been better spent on "understanding the most basic life-skills: mortgages, money management"
Today as 120,000 pupils sit their Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate maths exams, it is opportune to consider the role of mathematics in our culture, and, as the curriculum in schools is a selection from that culture, the role of mathematics in our education system.
Maths has played a central role in the philosophical and technological development of the western world because the mode of thinking required by mathematics, with its emphasis on logical process and proof, is at the heart of western thought.
Thus, it was as no mere slogan that the following appeared at the entrance to Plato's Academy in Athens: "Let no one enter here who is ignorant of Mathematics."
Nor was it any accident that the quantum leap forward made by science in late Renaissance Europe had, as its central figure, Galileo, who stated that the book of nature is written in the language of mathematics.
Furthermore, philosophy from Descartes to Karl Popper has been dominated by mathematicians. Thus, it can be seen that mathematics is, in the most profound sense, at the heart of what we are. But how do those somewhat grandiose sentiments translate into the reality of what is taught in schools?
The Task Force on the Physical Sciences recognised the centrality of mathematics to our economic well-being, and recommended that a review of mathematics syllabi be undertaken. (This seems to be one of only two recommendations of the task force actually being implemented; the other being the proposed introduction of the new syllabus in Junior Certificate science without the necessary laboratory equipment and back-up support for teachers.)
The NCCA, in its background paper initiating the recommended review of mathematics, recognised the importance of offering students a mathematical education appropriate to their diverse abilities, needs and interests. It recognised the twofold aspect of mathematics: on the one hand it is a subject that has a myriad of everyday applications; on the other it deals with logical process and fundamental ideas of truth and beauty. It is this dichotomy which often results in a mismatch between pupils' capabilities and the curriculum offered.
The problem is that the numbers following the various levels in the Leaving Certificate do not match those which were intended when the existing syllabi were developed. Currently 11 per cent follow Foundation Level, 72 per cent Ordinary Level and only 17 per cent at Higher Level. The intention was 20-25 per cent at Foundation Level, 50-60 per cent at Ordinary Level and 20-25 per cent at Higher Level.
All of this is taking place in the context of the transformation of the Irish second-level education system from an elitist one to a universalist one in schools with the second largest class sizes amongst OECD countries. Even while the whole education system is still struggling with this transformation, many of the changes now being implemented should bring cheer to Mr Myers.
For example, the Leaving Certificate Applied mathematics course reflects the applied nature of mathematics. It starts with students' experiences and seeks to raise their enthusiasm for mathematics through the achievements they attain and skills they develop in dealing with mathematics in everyday life, work and play.
The course is divided into modules such as "Mathematics for Living" which includes (a) comparing prices for similar goods with differing quantities and identifying the better value. (There should be wonderful practical opportunities to do this given the recent analysis of Irish prices in comparison with those of our EU partners); (b) compiling a household budget for a given period of time and analysing the figures with a view to adjusting the budget relative to income.
From these practical examples, it can be seen that the curriculum for mathematics is trying to come to grips with the diverse needs of students. I have argued that mathematics is at the heart of what we are. Dry as dust as it may be to some, a thing of beauty and elegance to others, human well-being from health to economics is dependent on it.
For educationalists, the goal is to provide a mathematics education which meets the diverse needs of the universal cohort now staying in our second-level schools.
Our society needs people well versed in mathematics; our education system must be resourced to provide them.