EDUCATION
By Xiao Ma, Teacher of Maths, Hurst College
The purpose and difficulty of GCSE mathematics The first of these is the easiest to meet – questions that require students to problem-solve and apply methods in novel ways can usually be written for any topic. It is the balance between the latter two purposes that is the subject of this column. When a maths teacher is asked the classic question “When are we ever going to use this in our lives?”, most educators try to think of a real-life application of the content. For many topics, I have stopped trying to do this, and instead motivate it in terms of problem-solving. The reason is that they are right - much of the content is simply not useful for everyday life. What should the purpose of GCSE mathematics be? Broadly speaking, most aims can be categorised into three areas: n To develop transferable prob lem-solving and critical thinking skills. n To teach practical numeracy that is useful for everyday life. n To prepare students for further study of mathematics and sciences in tertiary and higher education.
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In education policy, there has been a steady drift toward a neoliberal
❛❛ Maths is a compulsory subject and future options are severely limited if students do not pass ❜❜
