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Nameson GCSE maths papers

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Reply 1
Avatar for yawn
yawn
17
hellohello12
Why are the names of people chosen in hypothetical questions on GCSE mathematics papers so unrepresentative of the population as a whole?

I have seen examples with uncommon names such as Raj and Nizam but never examples of more common names such as David, Jack or Steve

Why is this?:confused: :confused: :confused:


What is the point of this thread?

Is it an academic observation - in which case it might be more appropriate for the Academic forum - or is it a political observation (should be in politics maybe?)

Perhaps the fact that you have omitted girls' names from your selection should be more closely examined than anything else? :wink:
Reply 2
Avatar for bunthulhu
bunthulhu
14
^ Gee, someone's picky.

I have noticed this and it does annoy me a bit actually, I've noticed it a lot on Maths papers and I tend to trip up a bit if I'm trying to write a table or a graph or do calculations and I keep having to check back to try and remember the names and how they're spelt, rather than just being able to write 'Dan' or 'Sara'. I don't have a problem with foreign names but I just don't really see why they felt the need to fill our exam papers up with them.
Reply 3
Avatar for yawn
yawn
17
Since the post ^ considers the unfamiliarity of the names on the exam papers to be a problem, it needs discussing in the academic section on GCSE because D&D is not the relevant forum, imo.

'Janet and John' and 'Peter and Jane' reading schemes were updated as they were not representative of the population, being as both families were white and middle-classed - same thing here I presume.:rolleyes:

Anyway, it might be that a mod will want to move the thread to 'Academic'.
Reply 4
Avatar for yawn
yawn
17
bunthulhu
^ Gee, someone's picky.



As the OP neglected to use girl's names and I'm a girl, it's my preogative to be as 'picky' as those complaining of the unfamiliarity of some of the ethnic names.
yawn
Since the post ^ considers the unfamiliarity of the names on the exam papers to be a problem, it needs discussing in the academic section on GCSE because D&D is not the relevant forum, imo.

'Janet and John' and 'Peter and Jane' reading schemes were updated as they were not representative of the population, being as both families were white and middle-classed - same thing here I presume.:rolleyes:

Anyway, it might be that a mod will want to move the thread to 'Academic'.


But what the OP is stating is that examinations are including an amount of religiously diverse names which are disproportionate to their actual use within society.
Reply 6
Avatar for bunthulhu
bunthulhu
14
yawn
As the OP neglected to use girl's names and I'm a girl, it's my preogative to be as 'picky' as those complaining of the unfamiliarity of some of the ethnic names.

I'm a girl too. The OP was just making a point, it has nothing to do with gender :rolleyes:
How utterly ridiculous. And to the guy who says he keeps forgetting the spelling of the names and so keeps going back to refer to them: It's Maths, not English.

Should i be annoyed they never call any of these guys Ricardo or Jose?
Reply 8
Avatar for bunthulhu
bunthulhu
14
cottonmouth
How utterly ridiculous. And to the guy who says he keeps forgetting the spelling of the names and so keeps going back to refer to them: It's Maths, not English.


Girl, thanks. Funnily enough, where you're required to write in maths exams they do like you to have a decent grasp of English. There's nothing wrong with promoting good spelling anyway - it's foolish not to.

Why are you against having English names that candidates (who are, if you recall, in England) will be familar with?
bunthulhu
Girl, thanks. Funnily enough, where you're required to write in maths exams they do like you to have a decent grasp of English. There's nothing wrong with promoting good spelling anyway - it's foolish not to.

Why are you against having names that most candidates will be familar with?


They aren't going to Mark you down for forgetting to put the "h" in "Ahmed" are they?

Seems to me this thread is one of those idiotic ones where certain types of peple will come and complain about how politically correct we've become, and how Islam is taking over Britain "Look- they've even infiltratd our Maths GCSE papers!". It is nothing more than an excuse for people to whine about how multiculturalism is "destroying" our "traditions". The fact that is has been thinly veiled by nonsense about GCSE papers is extremely, extremely pathetic. Someone move this damn thread, either to "education" though it has little to do with it really, or better, the cyberbin.
Reply 10
Avatar for sunscreen
sunscreen
7
i cant believe ppl are saying its ridiculous! wasn't it ridiculous when they changed it in the first place?!
Reply 11
Avatar for sunscreen
sunscreen
7
cottonmouth
They aren't going to Mark you down for forgetting to put the "h" in "Ahmed" are they?

Seems to me this thread is one of those idiotic ones where certain types of peple will come and complain about how politically correct we've become, and how Islam is taking over Britain "Look- they've even infiltratd our Maths GCSE papers!". It is nothing more than an excuse for people to whine about how multiculturalism is "destroying" our "traditions". The fact that is has been thinly veiled by nonsense about GCSE papers is extremely, extremely pathetic. Someone move this damn thread, either to "education" though it has little to do with it really, or better, the cyberbin.


lol i love how everyone brings everything back to islam! i wouldnt say it was just islamic names on the papers!
its like italian names and french names and american names

like "jean claud, maritzio and brad were playing with marbles...."

its quite obviously linked to the war tho... and terrorists! :rolleyes:

maybe if it was "saddam and osama were playing with their bath bombs...."
cottonmouth
They aren't going to Mark you down for forgetting to put the "h" in "Ahmed" are they?

Seems to me this thread is one of those idiotic ones where certain types of peple will come and complain about how politically correct we've become, and how Islam is taking over Britain "Look- they've even infiltratd our Maths GCSE papers!". It is nothing more than an excuse for people to whine about how multiculturalism is "destroying" our "traditions". The fact that is has been thinly veiled by nonsense about GCSE papers is extremely, extremely pathetic. Someone move this damn thread, either to "education" though it has little to do with it really, or better, the cyberbin.


I still pride myself on correct spelling thank you.

Noone is attacking Muslims here, it's just a fair comment about the names being introduced into our papers. It seems unusual and I just wonder what the reason for it is. It's like Indian or Chinese exam papers being full of English names - what's the point? I don't see the problem with having English names.
sunscreen
lol i love how everyone brings everything back to islam! i wouldnt say it was just islamic names on the papers!
its like italian names and french names and american names

like "jean claud, maritzio and brad were playing with marbles...."

its quite obviously linked to the war tho... and terrorists! :rolleyes:

maybe if it was "saddam and osama were playing with their bath bombs...."


Hehehe :biggrin:

Yeah, it really has nothing to do with Islam :confused: They use all sorts of foreign names.
bunthulhu
I still pride myself on correct spelling thank you.

Noone is attacking Muslims here, it's just a fair comment about the names being introduced into our papers. It seems unusual and I just wonder what the reason for it is. It's like Indian or Chinese exam papers being full of English names - what's the point? I don't see the problem with having English names.


I used Muslims as an example. The point is, you lot are complaining about the fact that non-English names are put on the exams, as though it is a major problem. It dosn't matter. Who gives a flying ****? I'm not bothering to even post on this thread again, unless something interesting comes up......
Reply 15
Avatar for sunscreen
sunscreen
7
it isn't a major problem... its just stupid that they feel they should HAVE to put foreign names incase they offend someone!

and its annoying having to remember whos who when it would be so much easier with recognisable names.
high priestess fnord
and its annoying having to remember whos who when it would be so much easier with recognisable names.

Yeah that's what I was getting at earlier :smile:

sunscreen
it isn't a major problem... its just stupid that they feel they should HAVE to put foreign names incase they offend someone!

Precisely, I'm sure noone had a problem with the English names! Just seems a bit like they are catering for the minority rather than the majority? :smile:

if they wanted to be truely multicultural it would be prudence, ahmed and john-luke playing marbles.

i think we should complain that the government is encouraging a ghetto mentality!
Reply 19
Avatar for yawn
yawn
17
Key stage l, 2,3 and 4 test papers incorporate all manner of names for the examples, so by the time these children who have just completed them work their way through to Key stage 4 there won't be a problem!

Those who are currently beginning KS4 will just have to adapt to remembering the names of the children in the examples before they turn over the page - they would have to do that regardless of the names (even if they were Tom, Dick and Harry) because of the additional information given alongside the names.

This really is a silly thread. :rolleyes:

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