Dumbing down maths does not add up

3 June 2008

The Daily Telegraph, 3 June 2008

With 10 per cent of the British economy in financial services, and with many high-end jobs in research and development, mathematics is an important skill. It is disappointing, therefore, to learn of the sorry state of GCSE mathematics examinations in a study from the think tank Reform. Comparing examination papers, the organisation has tracked exactly how exams have become dramatically simpler since the O-Levels sat in the 1950s.

Higher standards would foster more enthusiasm for maths

The emphasis has been switched away from algebra, arithmetic and geometry, the necessity for pupils to think for themselves about the required solution, and a requirement for conceptual understanding. It has moved towards less challenging, real-life problems that lead pupils, step-by-step, towards an answer.

Despite this lowering of the demands, there has also been a watering-down of pass marks: scores of less than 20 per cent on the Higher Tier exam can now be enough to be awarded a grade C. The educational establishment has become overly concerned that children might be put off by the difficulty of maths, forgetting that having to deal with difficulty is itself a useful life skill.

Not that the dumbing down has made pupils enthusiastic about the subject. Only 10 per cent of those who gain a grade C at GCSE or above go on to study at AS level, creating what Reform describes as a “lost generation of mathematicians”. It would seem that the combination of a watered down curriculum and uninspiring teaching has been turning pupils off the subject.

But shrewd sixteen year-olds might want to do the maths on their sixth form choices: a study by Alison Wolf of King’s College, London, has shown that an A-Level in mathematics adds an extra 10 per cent to a person’s salary.