[Maths-Education] "Academics query compulsory maths" ( Guardian of 3 10 2000 page 8) <Forward>

[Paul Ernest]

Since this letter to the Guardian will probably never see 
the light of day, and since maths ed colleagues may have 
been bemused by my purported views if they chanced to read 
that august publication on Tuesday and Wednesday I enclose 
this piece which also mentions the location of the relevant 
chapter on my website

Paul

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Letter to Editor
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Delighted as I was to see the priviliged place of maths in 
the school curriculum and the assumptions of its 
utility discussed, the article "Academics query compulsory 
maths" (Guardian 3-10) takes quotes from my chapter out of 
context and misuses them. Indeed I did write "the utility 
of academic and school mathematics in the modern world is 
greatly overestimated" but I continued the sentence "and 
the utilitarian argument provides a poor justification for 
the universal teaching of the subject". I go on to describe 
the 'relevance paradox' according to which society is ever 
increasingly mathematised, but this operates at a level 
invisible to most of its members. 

I argue that maths is also undervalued because 
most justifications are extrinsic, based based on utility 
and instrumental value. But maths is rich in intellectually 
challenging and exciting concepts including infinity, chaos,
chance, structure, symmetry, etc., and is also an 
intrinsically valuable area of human culture. 

I therefore conclude by proposing that all learners should 
be entitled to develop: 
- mathematical skills, knowledge and capabilities, 
including a critical appreciation of the social 
applications and uses of mathematics
- creative and application capabilities through 
expertise in maths problem solving
- an inner appreciation of mathematics and its big ideas, 
as well as of its central role in human history and culture.

Far from saying that school maths can be dispensed with I 
argue that we need more intellectually ambitious aims for 
teaching it. I will post the chapter 'Why teach maths?' on 
my web page <www.ex.ac.uk/~PErnest/> for readers interested 
in reading it for themselves. Perhaps this will reassure 
those readers who have sent me angry messages about 
rubbishing maths in school.



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Paul Ernest              Phone: +44-1392-264857
University of Exeter     Secretary: +44-1392-264877
School of Education      Fax: +44-1392-264736
Heavitree Road           Email: p.ernest@ex.ac.uk
Exeter  EX1 2LU, UK      Web: http://www.ex.ac.uk/~PErnest/