[Maths-Education] Effects of the new AS arrangements for mathematics
Peter Cave
petercav@hku.hk
Tue, 27 Nov 2001 10:56:59 +0800
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Not being in England (at present), I find this whole AS-level business
rather hard to understand. My train of thought goes like this:
Everyone seems to agree that post-GCSE education in England is too narrow.
One rational solution might be to change to something closer to the Scottish
system, say allowing students to study five subjects for two years but of
course to a lower level or at least a narrower level than today's A Levels.
(For arts subjects such as English or History, I do not necessarily think it
would result in a lower level of analysis, since the difference would mainly
be in the number of novels of centuries covered - no doubt experts would
disagree! - but I guess it would be inevitable in the case of maths or
science.)
But, this would mean that universities would have to adjust their teaching
to start at a lower level. If university courses were not lengthened,
students would inevitably graduate from university knowing less (though of
course they would have benefited from learning more broadly at sixth form
level).
So the government would either have to fight the universities to get them to
change what they teach, or it would have to lengthen university courses,
which would cost money.
The AS-Level seems to be a way to try to escape these 'unpalatable' options
by a half-cock, half-baked alternative which offers little real extra
broadening, and results in extra admin and extra stress all round in
schools.
Is this a correct diagnosis?
Peter Cave
M.A., M.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxon)
Assistant Professor
Department of Japanese Studies
The University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam Road
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2859-2879
Fax: (852) 2548-7399
petercav@hkucc.hku.hk
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<DIV>Not being in England (at present), I find this whole AS-level =
business=20
rather hard to understand. My train of thought goes like =
this:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Everyone seems to agree that post-GCSE education in England is too=20
narrow. One rational solution might be to change to something =
closer to=20
the Scottish system, say allowing students to study five subjects for =
two years=20
but of course to a lower level or at least a narrower level than today's =
A=20
Levels. (For arts subjects such as English or History, I do not=20
necessarily think it would result in a lower level of analysis, since =
the=20
difference would mainly be in the number of novels of centuries covered =
- no=20
doubt experts would disagree! - but I guess it would be inevitable in =
the case=20
of maths or science.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But, this would mean that universities would have to adjust their =
teaching=20
to start at a lower level. If university courses were not =
lengthened,=20
students would inevitably graduate from university knowing less (though =
of=20
course they would have benefited from learning more broadly at sixth =
form=20
level).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So the government would either have to fight the universities to =
get them=20
to change what they teach, or it would have to lengthen university =
courses,=20
which would cost money.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The AS-Level seems to be a way to try to escape these 'unpalatable' =
options=20
by a half-cock, half-baked alternative which offers little real extra=20
broadening, and results in extra admin and extra stress all round in=20
schools.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Is this a correct diagnosis?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Peter Cave<BR>M.A., M.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxon)<BR>Assistant=20
Professor<BR>Department of Japanese Studies<BR>The University of Hong=20
Kong<BR>Pokfulam Road<BR>Hong Kong<BR>Tel: (852) 2859-2879<BR>Fax: (852) =
2548-7399<BR><A =
href=3D"mailto:petercav@hkucc.hku.hk">petercav@hkucc.hku.hk</A>=20
<FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT =
size=3D2></DIV></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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