The Singapore Forum

Tack Minor mentioned this, he thought it really funny. A group of about 300 International Baccalaureate student (said Tackette included) are waiting outside the exam hall before Maths final exams. IB maths comes in 3 levels of difficulty with roughly equal (very roughly) candidate numbers for the 3. The 3 groups are called into the hall in order with the hard maths lot first. Two nationalities make up the first batch, the rest of the Asians go in next leaving the white kids looking at each other laughing.

Is this a word problem? If so, then I think the answer is 100. Or maybe 200?

Oh dear. And if you divided that last group up, the Kiwi kids would have been last of the last. Dreadful maths teaching. I myself am living proof of its failure. They gave up on me. Literally, at the tender age of 14. Even told my parents they were giving up. Lack of imagintation on the teacher's part, if ya ask me.

I'd love to understand maths. I do try.

Maths was the only thing I was any good at.

I got the school maths prize for my grade at 13 but 'only' the geography one at 18

Tackette's story is not only sad for the badly taught but also for the unwilling. The kids can actually choose which level maths to take (given some aptitude) and a choice FOR hard maths means a choice less for hard something-else. Alot of private tutors earn a good living off that school!

I got maths prizes at school. My techie maths brain has died from lack of use unfortunately, and I miss it. For people who don't get it, something is wrong in the teaching somewhere, with a bit of creativity it has potential to be one of the most interesting and fun subjects to stretch the brain. I always felt it came down to breaking it up into the simplest components possible, and always trying to relate it to something physical that the mind can hold onto. And do lots of hands on stuff, and mix it up with real world stuff, and history stuff (there's loads of maths in ancient history, or civils etc etc !!)

Well, here's how they are currently teaching maths in the UK....(with a possible future look at what might happen.....)

1. Teaching Maths In 1970

A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the price.
What is his profit?

2. Teaching Maths In 1980

A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or £80.
What is his profit?

3. Teaching Maths In 1990

A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.
His cost of production is £80.
Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Maths In 2000

A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.
His cost of production is £80 and his profit is £20.
Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Maths In 2008

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and
inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the
preservation of our woodlands.
He does this so he can make a prof it of £20.
What do you think of this way of making a living?
Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the
birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are
no wrong answers. )

6. Teaching Maths 2018

أ المسجل تبيع حموله شاحنة من الخشب من اجل 100 دولار. صاحب تكلفة الانتاج
من الثمن. ما هو الربح له؟

FB: ( love the new avatar too, but perhaps way too cute! )

Azz: You and me both! Same, same.

Excellent FB Tack Minor thought so too! Sneering at A levels (Brit version) is favourite IB pastime.
Honourable mention to Lili here too, made me

I never could understand how math which is a field of study becomes maths (plural).

Because it's from mathematics and it's proper british

I knew there had to be a rational reason.

It's ok, Sluggo, it threw me for a loop when I first heard it here too

FB - maaarvelous!!

Sluggo - accept that you're wrong and live with it...

Tack wrote:Sneering at A levels (Brit version) is favourite IB pastime.

My teacher mate told me the IB board in Switzerland (Geneva is it?) are a bunch of snotty tossers. No wonder that "sneering" at other education systems is encouraged.

Whereas laughing and ridiculing the Brit version is perfectly OK!

Tack wrote:Excellent FB Tack Minor thought so too! Sneering at A levels (Brit version) is favourite IB pastime.
Honourable mention to Lili here too, made me

How do you know they were A level questions? And why would IB candidates bother to sneer at something that doesn't affect them?

Just curious...

The rivalry between A levels and IB is fairly good humoured actually but they are certainly in competition in the UK. The A level lot seem infuriated by the official table of comparison as designed by the UK uni admissions board which values the IB way ahead of A levels. This tariff only came into existence this year, so there is alot of talk. The UK universities don't seem to know which A level score equals which IB score and there is a huge difference in their selection process as a result. The schools in the UK that have adopted IB or are considering it have a vested interest in promoting it over A levels and they have plenty of ammo for doing so given the state of UK education as portrayed in the media and official education research papers.


More later if you're interested, gotta go

Gosh I've been thinking about this and thought I'd better come back to clarify since 2 posters questioned my use of language which erroneously casts the IBO and my kid in a bad light. The school my kid attends and the official documention I own from the IB Organisation has never mentioned A levels. My kid laughed at FB's joke because he has heard all the stories about the UK ed system that we all have and he knows all about the rivalries there within the schools that offer both A level and IB Diploma (which is where candidates do have issues with each other, I can expand on this if you like). He has never belittled his friends or nieces who do the UK A level system in discussions with them to my knowledge or afterwards to me.

And as for how I knew they were A level questions? I did not for one minute think they were. I shorthand the Uk Ed system as the Brit A level one, the Singapore one as the Sing A level one (a totally different thing BTW) just as I call the one my kid follows 'the IB' when what I mean is the IB Diploma rather than IBPYP, IB MYP or IB certificate. My fault for not being specific.

Yes, I think the IB Dip is superior to A levels (Brit), that's why our family chose it. But the language I chose above was mine. I read alot more online 'discussion' than other members of my family and a lot of them are very Angry Boardish in this rivalry, both ways (I don't contribute BTW). In person I've not seen any unpleasantness.

Just wanted to put the record straight.

BFG wrote:FB - maaarvelous!!

Sluggo - accept that you're wrong and live with it...

I am trying but it is sooooo hard.

I hope you don't include me within those "2 posters [who] questioned my use of language". I was just having a jest.

I know the UK system is crap. The IB looks very well rounded and focuses quite effectively on more than just academic excellence, which is a problem in the UK, and altogether, aside from the snotty bunch of tossers at HQ, then it might be the way forward. Best of luck to those taking it!