[Maths-Education] ratios low and high
Peter Cave
maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk
Tue, 8 Jan 2002 13:06:58 +0800
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Happy New Year to one and all.
I have just read the following sentence (abridged) in a book:
'Reducing staff-student ratios is a popular issue ...the lower the ration,
the better the education ...'
My question is not about the validity of the content! Rather, it's about
the use of the low/high language. The above-quoted statement seems to me
typical of British (English-language?) usage - 1:10 is a 'lower'
teacher-student ratio than 1:20. But when I discuss this with students here
in Hong Kong, they always say that 1:10 is a higher teacher-student ratio
than 1:20. My Hong Kong Chinese colleague (who shares the students' point
of view) suggests this is because they are seeing it from the point of view
of the number of teachers (a higher number of teachers per student, rather
than a lower number of students per teacher). Would list members agree that
this is reasonable usage? Or should we always say that 1:10 is a 'lower'
ratio than 1:20 (whatever the issue - not just when applied to
teacher-student ratios).
Peter Cave
M.A., M.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxon)
Lecturer
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><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Happy New Year to one and =
all.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">I have just read the following =
sentence=20
(abridged) in a book:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">'Reducing staff-student ratios is a =
popular=20
issue ...the lower the ration, the better the education =
...'</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">My question is not about the =
validity of the=20
content! Rather, it's about the use of the low/high =
language. The=20
above-quoted statement seems to me typical of British =
(English-language?) usage=20
- 1:10 is a 'lower' teacher-student ratio than 1:20. But when I =
discuss=20
this with students here in Hong Kong, they always say that 1:10 is a =
higher=20
teacher-student ratio than 1:20. My Hong Kong Chinese =
colleague (who=20
shares the students' point of view) suggests this is because they =
are=20
seeing it from the point of view of the number of teachers (a higher =
number of=20
teachers per student, rather than a lower number of students per =
teacher). =20
Would list members agree that this is reasonable usage? Or should =
we=20
always say that 1:10 is a 'lower' ratio than 1:20 (whatever the issue =
- not=20
just when applied to teacher-student ratios). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Peter Cave<BR>M.A., M.Phil., D.Phil. =
(Oxon)<BR>Lecturer<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> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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