Unfair Maths expectations
Why does the government expect academic students (or everyone for that matter, since this will serve as an obstruction to someone at some point) to have at least a grade C in GCSE Maths? It's unfair on those who know that Maths - beyond what everyone needs to know for general life skills - will not be part of their further education (where they lack in Maths, they excel in English and other text-based subjects that open to just as many important jobs as a good knowledge in STEM would enable you to do) and potential employment.
And with Edexcel moving onto a new GCSE program - which for some reason includes A-LEVEL topics in the syllabus, the exams will be made even harder and penalize those who only need the qualification for entry to colleges and Sixth Forms. This of course wouldn't matter to someone who is studying for a science subject or, well, further maths. From what I've heard from TSR as well there's a good chance they will raise the grade boundaries for this year's papers so I'm looking at getting a D instead of that one C I need over every other qualification (According to an unofficial mark scheme, a bit of harshness and a bit of memory, I'm within the 40's range on the first paper. That means I'll need to get 100 on the next paper using last year's boundaries as a model which is damn near impossible. I'm on Foundation btw)
It simply isn't fair that the result of one GCSE - even if you get great or satisfactory grades in everything else - can decide whether you have to repeat Year 11 or not. It decides whether you stay behind or keep up with your friends - for social reasons, not competitive ones. There is the Functional Skills qualification, but it's pointless when the expectation and requirement still stands for a full GCSE, so it's a waste of time in all.
In comparison to English - the other required GCSE - English is more important as it allows you to understand what people are really saying, improves communication, writing and everything else. You can apply the knowledge to pretty much everything involving people. Knowing your own tongue is much more valuable to life than figuring out where in life you'd have to use trial and improvement, or algebra, or circle theorems - topics specific to people who go onto study STEM, but not necessarily people who go onto humanities subjects like law, history or English.
I hate all the expectation on Math. It has done nothing but harm my educational path. All the time I've used studying for something which I will never study or use again in life due to all the heartache it causes I could have been spending on honing my skills in English or other subjects.
So considering people who don't intend to study science or maths beyond GCSE level, why is it still mandatory to get the latter at the correct grade?
And with Edexcel moving onto a new GCSE program - which for some reason includes A-LEVEL topics in the syllabus, the exams will be made even harder and penalize those who only need the qualification for entry to colleges and Sixth Forms. This of course wouldn't matter to someone who is studying for a science subject or, well, further maths. From what I've heard from TSR as well there's a good chance they will raise the grade boundaries for this year's papers so I'm looking at getting a D instead of that one C I need over every other qualification (According to an unofficial mark scheme, a bit of harshness and a bit of memory, I'm within the 40's range on the first paper. That means I'll need to get 100 on the next paper using last year's boundaries as a model which is damn near impossible. I'm on Foundation btw)
It simply isn't fair that the result of one GCSE - even if you get great or satisfactory grades in everything else - can decide whether you have to repeat Year 11 or not. It decides whether you stay behind or keep up with your friends - for social reasons, not competitive ones. There is the Functional Skills qualification, but it's pointless when the expectation and requirement still stands for a full GCSE, so it's a waste of time in all.
In comparison to English - the other required GCSE - English is more important as it allows you to understand what people are really saying, improves communication, writing and everything else. You can apply the knowledge to pretty much everything involving people. Knowing your own tongue is much more valuable to life than figuring out where in life you'd have to use trial and improvement, or algebra, or circle theorems - topics specific to people who go onto study STEM, but not necessarily people who go onto humanities subjects like law, history or English.
I hate all the expectation on Math. It has done nothing but harm my educational path. All the time I've used studying for something which I will never study or use again in life due to all the heartache it causes I could have been spending on honing my skills in English or other subjects.
So considering people who don't intend to study science or maths beyond GCSE level, why is it still mandatory to get the latter at the correct grade?
(edited 7 years ago)
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Getting a grade C in maths implies that you have enough knowledge of basic arithmetic that you will have no problems in the vast majority of real-life situations. The A/A* questions are not intended for C-grade candidates, that's why we have this thing called grade boundaries. The grade 9 questions are also quite early AS questions and they're, again, not designed for C-grade candidates. That's why they added another grade.
I agree with you tbh. I get that a lot of A level subjects include maths in them, but they're mainly stem subjects. Of course, there are courses like geography which I assume have a good portion of maths in them that aren't stem subjects, but it seems ridiculous that so much rides on getting a decent maths grade at GCSE. I suppose you have to get a C/B grade so that they know that everyone has some understanding of maths, but unless you're specifically going on to do a maths type subject, when are you ever going to use circle theorems??
If you're worried about not getting a C grade, then remember that you can always just resit maths on its own (you could at my school). If you get a D that is close to a C and a C is what you need for your sixth form or college, then you can probably resit maths whilst taking your A levels, or whatever you choose to do. Good luck.
If you're worried about not getting a C grade, then remember that you can always just resit maths on its own (you could at my school). If you get a D that is close to a C and a C is what you need for your sixth form or college, then you can probably resit maths whilst taking your A levels, or whatever you choose to do. Good luck.
Original post by Trapz99
It is easy AF to get a C in any GCSE, let alone maths GCSE. If you aren't getting at least a C you aren't studying hard enough (or at all)
The thing is though, every paper is different. I did a handful of past papers and I got around 70% (C) on each of them. I dedicated any spare time I had at school to maths practice. However, you never know which topics you're going to get in the actual exam - there's so many of them.
In the exam I guess I worked too fast. I spent the last half-hour checking everything over, and there wasn't any adjustments I thought I could do so I called it in with five minutes left.
Original post by Zacken
Well, yeah, the whole point of being an unfair or biased estimator of a parameter is that .
What??????!!
It's not really unfair though... If you study hard enough you'll be able to get at least a C. Maths is essential because passing it shows you have an aptitude in problem solving and basic arithmetic skills, which you can apply.
I agree. Maths is my worst subject, but I excel at English. I'm going on to study Law, Philosophy, Sociology and English language at A-level but if I don't pass my maths then that may all be ruined by one subject that won't even be important to me?! I find it ridiculous when people say "if you're not getting a C at GCSE then you're not studying hard enough." No matter the amount I study, I will just never really 'get' maths. It is not someone elses place to tell me that I'm not putting the work in just because I'm borderline C grade.
You need to have at least some understanding of GCSE Maths to be able to at least work in McDonald's...
Original post by OddFuturez
What??????!!
The thread was titled maths expectations, no?
Original post by Zacken
The thread was titled maths expectations, no?
I don't have the maths intelligence to understand that then ;D
Maybe they should again offer arithmetic as a subject in its own right as was the case in Scotland , well certainly in the 1970s (no idea when it stopped being offered)
Big plus point was it was sat without calculators (well I sat it without a calculator) so one was comfortable with numbers (I did not own a calculator in 1976 when I sat it)
It covered addition/subtraction/multiplication/division/fractions/ratios/areas/volumes a little binary and a bit of problem solving (trains hurtling towards each other on a track, car races train,, water going into a tank and out of a tank at different rates or similar)
Frankly it is arithmetic I have used most frequently in the intervening years thought do sometimes problem solve with a little algebra and work out map /plan areas with a bit of geometry/trig, however the last time I really seriously used any maths from school or university was taking business finance exams in the 1980s and despite working in accountancy since that date I have rarely used much beyond O level standard in thirty years.
Maybe if they changed the label and examined what they really want (numeracy) then those who have no maths inclination could be left alone provided they can count above ten without taking off their socks.
Big plus point was it was sat without calculators (well I sat it without a calculator) so one was comfortable with numbers (I did not own a calculator in 1976 when I sat it)
It covered addition/subtraction/multiplication/division/fractions/ratios/areas/volumes a little binary and a bit of problem solving (trains hurtling towards each other on a track, car races train,, water going into a tank and out of a tank at different rates or similar)
Frankly it is arithmetic I have used most frequently in the intervening years thought do sometimes problem solve with a little algebra and work out map /plan areas with a bit of geometry/trig, however the last time I really seriously used any maths from school or university was taking business finance exams in the 1980s and despite working in accountancy since that date I have rarely used much beyond O level standard in thirty years.
Maybe if they changed the label and examined what they really want (numeracy) then those who have no maths inclination could be left alone provided they can count above ten without taking off their socks.
The english language GCSE is no more relevant to your life skills than the maths GCSE.
Original post by Enjor
The thing is though, every paper is different. I did a handful of past papers and I got around 70% (C) on each of them. I dedicated any spare time I had at school to maths practice. However, you never know which topics you're going to get in the actual exam - there's so many of them.
In the exam I guess I worked too fast. I spent the last half-hour checking everything over, and there wasn't any adjustments I thought I could do so I called it in with five minutes left.
In the exam I guess I worked too fast. I spent the last half-hour checking everything over, and there wasn't any adjustments I thought I could do so I called it in with five minutes left.
70% is not a C lol
It's an A
Unless you're talking about A-Level
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by harrietbh12
I agree. Maths is my worst subject, but I excel at English. I'm going on to study Law, Philosophy, Sociology and English language at A-level but if I don't pass my maths then that may all be ruined by one subject that won't even be important to me?! I find it ridiculous when people say "if you're not getting a C at GCSE then you're not studying hard enough." No matter the amount I study, I will just never really 'get' maths. It is not someone elses place to tell me that I'm not putting the work in just because I'm borderline C grade.
It's sad that so many people seem to think that they can't "get" maths or have the capacity for it. It's just like any other GCSE- if you don't understand it, make sure that you do. There is no concept at GCSE that one can never understand- try and try again and you should understand everything, at least to a C grade level. In my school we have different ability sets in maths- and no one in the bottom set got below a B. Shows that anything can be understood.
Original post by Trapz99
70% is not a C lol
It's an A
Unless you're talking about A-Level
It's an A
Unless you're talking about A-Level
Maybe foundation tier?
Original post by Zacken
Well, yeah, the whole point of being an unfair or biased estimator of a parameter is that .
this gave me life.
Original post by Enjor
In comparison to English - the other required GCSE - English is more important as it allows you to understand what people are really saying, improves communication, writing and everything else. You can apply the knowledge to pretty much everything involving people. Knowing your own tongue is much more valuable to life than figuring out where in life you'd have to use trial and improvement, or algebra, or circle theorems - topics specific to people who go onto study STEM, but not necessarily people who go onto humanities subjects like law, history or English.
In comparison to English - the other required GCSE - English is more important as it allows you to understand what people are really saying, improves communication, writing and everything else. You can apply the knowledge to pretty much everything involving people. Knowing your own tongue is much more valuable to life than figuring out where in life you'd have to use trial and improvement, or algebra, or circle theorems - topics specific to people who go onto study STEM, but not necessarily people who go onto humanities subjects like law, history or English.
Disagree on this. The stuff you learn at maths GCSE is really just foundations to get by in day-to-day life. Almost every office job will require at some point you know how to work out percentages, means etc.
An example: today, I've been working out what grades I need to have achieved in the exams I just took, given what grades I got throughout the year and in January which are weighted less. If I didn't know how to work out weighted means, I wouldn't have been to do this.
Agree that circle theorems probably not useful for most people, but as somebody else said you can get a C while not answering any of these questions, also they're not that hard you can just memorize them.
On the flip side, I know how to speak and write English, and I didn't learn in my English GCSE: I learned through speaking, reading and writing English of which a small part of that was my English GCSE. The techniques you learn in English GCSE are really quite niche and might help you if I wanted a career as a short story critic, or poet, but understanding what a conversation partner is saying is a skill most people will pick up in their childhood anyway, and much of GCSE English is just leaping to conclusions about hidden subtexts which the author was probably completely unaware of when writing the prose.
tl;dr: my lowest scoring GCSE was in English, still bitter about it 6 years on
Original post by Enjor
X
I do agree with you to some extent but on the other hand, you really do need to have some basic understanding of maths to get through life and I don't think the expectations for C grade maths are too high. It's worth mentioning that a lot of countries have maths compulsory all the way up to the age of 18, so you're really not that bad off in the UK.
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