Mathematics Secrets Revealed

There is nothing spectacular about KS1 and KS2 mathematics. Average child should be able to solve problems from exam papers. However, children are being stopped from even trying...How are they supposed to solve a simple equation (a standard question from the exam) if they have never been exposed to it?!

Two years ago I asked my son to do some exam papers. He wasn't able to solve a great amount of them, even though they did not involve higher mathematics. He just wasn't even introduced to this type of questions. If you are expecting a 9 year old to solve these questions himself, you live in dream land...Basic knowledge has to be taught to the children. They need to be given homework every day, they need to practise mathematics. What happened to equal chances for all? Children used to be prepared by schools for their tests, without parents worrying about it, without additional classes, tuition...what went wrong?

Mathematics nowadays is made far too complicated. I don't think any new ways of adding/subtracting/multiplying help, but add to the confusion. It was enough to watch a TV programme about improving education standards in secondary schools by using three coloured cups (use red one to stop the teacher when you don't understand something) to start worrying about your child. Who comes up with these ideas? They may work in high schools, but primary schools don't need anything more than more math lessons and parents' interest in education. If teachers don't get parental support, they will not be able to achieve higher standards. Children need to spend more than 10 minutes learning or reviewing at home. Nowadays primary school pupils are not expected to compete, as it is bad for them, they have just to spend time at school playing most of the day ( I am talking from my children's experience|).

They come back home frustrated, as they learned nothing and they sit down to do some more mathematics...with me.

I am sorry, but I believe in old-fashioned learning and competition. Times table still needs to be learned by heart if you want to progress in mathematics, there is no way around it. Competition is needed to be able to compare results and improve.

Let's assume, your child is not thinking about GCSE in mathematics. He is going just to get through mathematics to keep the teacher happy. Then he starts living his life without having any knowledge of the danger of compound interest, credit cards and loans. Citizen without basic ideas of what life is all about. Why do you think we have so much crime? Because young people, frustrated (because of lack of knowledge), head for easy ways of getting money and goods...stealing, robbery, drugs. Plus wrong example at home. Or no example at all.

Schools became free child-minding places. You dump your child at 9, pick up after 3 and you have only a few hours when you need to spend time doing something for the children. e.g. cooking or washing their clothes. It's not what having children is all about.

I do not expect parents to teach math (even at primary school), but I do expect children, who want to learn, to get education from school on a level allowing them to move on to any grammar school they wish. If the school does not provide this education, what is the point of the school?

Even if your child does not intend to go to a grammar school, he would still benefit from a good understanding of basic mathematics. So will his secondary teachers.

There is nothing spectacular about KS1 and KS2 mathematics. Average child should be able to solve problems from exam papers. However, children are being stopped from even trying...How are they supposed to solve a simple equation (a standard question from the exam) if they have never been exposed to it?!

Two years ago I asked my son to do some exam papers. He wasn't able to solve a great amount of them, even though they did not involve higher mathematics. He just wasn't even introduced to this type of questions. If you are expecting a 9 year old to solve these questions himself, you live in dream land...Basic knowledge has to be taught to the children. They need to be given homework every day, they need to practise mathematics. What happened to equal chances for all? Children used to be prepared by schools for their tests, without parents worrying about it, without additional classes, tuition...what went wrong?

Mathematics nowadays is made far too complicated. I don't think any new ways of adding/subtracting/multiplying help, but add to the confusion. It was enough to watch a TV programme about improving education standards in secondary schools by using three coloured cups (use red one to stop the teacher when you don't understand something) to start worrying about your child. Who comes up with these ideas? They may work in high schools, but primary schools don't need anything more than more math lessons and parents' interest in education. If teachers don't get parental support, they will not be able to achieve higher standards. Children need to spend more than 10 minutes learning or reviewing at home. Nowadays primary school pupils are not expected to compete, as it is bad for them, they have just to spend time at school playing most of the day ( I am talking from my children's experience|).

They come back home frustrated, as they learned nothing and they sit down to do some more mathematics...with me.

I am sorry, but I believe in old-fashioned learning and competition. Times table still needs to be learned by heart if you want to progress in mathematics, there is no way around it. Competition is needed to be able to compare results and improve.

Let's assume, your child is not thinking about GCSE in mathematics. He is going just to get through mathematics to keep the teacher happy. Then he starts living his life without having any knowledge of the danger of compound interest, credit cards and loans. Citizen without basic ideas of what life is all about. Why do you think we have so much crime? Because young people, frustrated (because of lack of knowledge), head for easy ways of getting money and goods...stealing, robbery, drugs. Plus wrong example at home. Or no example at all.

Schools became free child-minding places. You dump your child at 9, pick up after 3 and you have only a few hours when you need to spend time doing something for the children. e.g. cooking or washing their clothes. It's not what having children is all about.

I do not expect parents to teach math (even at primary school), but I do expect children, who want to learn, to get education from school on a level allowing them to move on to any grammar school they wish. If the school does not provide this education, what is the point of the school?

Even if your child does not intend to go to a grammar school, he would still benefit from a good understanding of basic mathematics. So will his secondary teachers.