The Student Room Group

Should Maths A-level be COMPULSORY

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Original post by Smack
As a student of maths, your opinion is likely to somewhat different from non-maths students.


Agreed. You should therefore take my opinion for what it is worth: not much.

That's a good idea for those that would like a more rigorous qualification that will better prepare them for further study in maths or another subject that heavily utilises maths. However I believe there should also be an element of choice too, so that those who are not mathematically inclined can still take the subject without failing.


I would say that doing maths non-rigorously is a bit like doing painting non-artistically.
Definitely not.
Original post by lolololol
Failing a GCSE in maths means that you cannot answer ~6% of a higher paper (you need 12 out of 200 for a E, source: http://www.sthn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Edexcel-GCSE-Grade-Boundaries-2013.pdf). Anything from an A*-G is a pass.

I'm guessing you mean lower than a C though. In which case your friend from school may be able to do basic maths just fine but that is not necessarily representative of all people. There is a lot of complicated maths behind things like interest rates for loans and working out if you have under/overpaid your electricity bill and if you have not got a good grade at GCSE maths then you will most likely struggle with such things, which could have huge repercussions for your life.

I guess so but the person i am talking about was in the lowest maths set in my school and constantly struggled with the basic. To be fair on her though she is maths dyslexic and her maths teacher knew about that but what could she have done? Not much i guess. The funniest thing is that 2 days before her maths exam she told me she is not going to revise but take a break. That was so bad of her but i did sort of understand her feeling because being dyslexic in maths can mean a lot.

Edit: GCSE maths was fairly okayish but i must say some things were hard like cicle theorems. Anyway i do not really see the reason of someone failling even the foundation paper.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by lolololol
Failing a GCSE in maths means that you cannot answer ~6% of a higher paper (you need 12 out of 200 for a E, source: http://www.sthn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Edexcel-GCSE-Grade-Boundaries-2013.pdf). Anything from an A*-G is a pass.

I'm guessing you mean lower than a C though. In which case your friend from school may be able to do basic maths just fine but that is not necessarily representative of all people. There is a lot of complicated maths behind things like interest rates for loans and working out if you have under/overpaid your electricity bill and if you have not got a good grade at GCSE maths then you will most likely struggle with such things, which could have huge repercussions for your life.

You should look at this thread:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3050851&p=52589913#post52589913
Why does the OP feel the need to write 'compulsory' in capitals? Is the OP a 'reporter' from the Daily Mail?
Original post by YounesB


I'm thinking, screw this government trying to force everyone into a career in STEM. If they continue in this way we'll end up a populations averagely inadequate at maths who don't know what a novel is.
Original post by katinthehat
I'm thinking, screw this government trying to force everyone into a career in STEM. If they continue in this way we'll end up a populations averagely inadequate at maths who don't know what a novel is.


In what possible context is knowing connotations and the meaning of alliteration in a novel of any use?


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Original post by katinthehat
I'm thinking, screw this government trying to force everyone into a career in STEM. If they continue in this way we'll end up a populations averagely inadequate at maths who don't know what a novel is.


English Literature & English Language should be scrapped into one single English gcse IMO.


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Original post by langlitz
In what possible context is knowing connotations and the meaning of alliteration in a novel of any use?


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To understand the constructions of texts, why people made these decisions and how this reflects on the society at the time perhaps? Psychological and sociological influences upon texts give us insight into the history of literature, and not only literature but of mankind itself?

Anyway, enough of all that useless garbage! I'll get back to finding 'x' :rolleyes:
Original post by MrJAKEE
English Literature & English Language should be scrapped into one single English gcse IMO.


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Do you have any factual basis for that opinion?
Original post by katinthehat
Do you have any factual basis for that opinion?


When I say "scrapped into one gcse" I mean a more rigorous gcse but with obviously less content than the two single GCSES.

When I took Language, for my coursework I had to do a story, a descriptive piece and I think that was it. We took a paper that was do or die, we were given a text and we were asked to write of questions based off it. Sounds too similar to Literature to me. Literature I feel isn't as needed as language, why should I bother to learn Shakespeare when a lot of the concepts are common sense? I'll never understand why English currently is given 2 GCSES whereas maths is only given 1.


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Original post by MrJAKEE
When I say "scrapped into one gcse" I mean a more rigorous gcse but with obviously less content than the two single GCSES.

When I took Language, for my coursework I had to do a story, a descriptive piece and I think that was it. We took a paper that was do or die, we were given a text and we were asked to write of questions based off it. Sounds too similar to Literature to me. Literature I feel isn't as needed as language, why should I bother to learn Shakespeare when a lot of the concepts are common sense? I'll never understand why English currently is given 2 GCSES whereas maths is only given 1.


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Well I can understand that, however, language is much more factual and based on the technicality in language whereas literature is much more focused on contextual and thematic factors. So they do explore two different types of learning. Honestly, I can't really talk about maths as I scraped a B in my GCSE and then abandoned it. However, I know I hated almost every minute of it, and sit through 2 compulsory units of it may have been more than I could have handled. It's so dry. I guess it's personal preference.
Original post by katinthehat
To understand the constructions of texts, why people made these decisions and how this reflects on the society at the time perhaps? Psychological and sociological influences upon texts give us insight into the history of literature, and not only literature but of mankind itself?

Anyway, enough of all that useless garbage! I'll get back to finding 'x' :rolleyes:


Oh great.. Which is useful how?

If that's the limit of your maths education I seriously feel bad for you. You cut yourself of from pretty much every subject apart from humanities without maths. The world would simple grind to a halt without maths. No computers, no economy


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No it shouldn't.
However if it were to become compulsory the level of it should be lower, just for the purpose of keeping maths skill up from GCSE rather than doing anything much more complicated. If a student chooses to take A level/AS maths then the difficulty should be the same as what it is now.
Original post by katinthehat
Well I can understand that, however, language is much more factual and based on the technicality in language whereas literature is much more focused on contextual and thematic factors. So they do explore two different types of learning. Honestly, I can't really talk about maths as I scraped a B in my GCSE and then abandoned it. However, I know I hated almost every minute of it, and sit through 2 compulsory units of it may have been more than I could have handled. It's so dry. I guess it's personal preference.


Lol I got an A in my language and it seemed to be that it was always so random as to what I got in the mocks.. Sometimes an A* .. Sometimes a B .. Sometimes a D.. You had to answer the questions in such an ordered manner and tbh I don't see the relevance to real life. Obviously this can be said so in Maths too, which I'd like to see reformed to more everyday/useful maths. I did like English Lit but I do question how much we need to be teaching our children about contextual/thematic factors.


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Original post by MrJAKEE
When I say "scrapped into one gcse" I mean a more rigorous gcse but with obviously less content than the two single GCSES.

When I took Language, for my coursework I had to do a story, a descriptive piece and I think that was it. We took a paper that was do or die, we were given a text and we were asked to write of questions based off it. Sounds too similar to Literature to me. Literature I feel isn't as needed as language, why should I bother to learn Shakespeare when a lot of the concepts are common sense? I'll never understand why English currently is given 2 GCSES whereas maths is only given 1.


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The thing is English first language GCSE/IGCSE now is considered as a proof for English proficiency for 2nd language speakers. English literature doesn't prove one's English skill, as a first language person with fine English grammar can get bad grade in it. By combining it destroys the purpose of proving one's English proficiency. (Not gonna have a debate about whether or not GCSE English language is a good indicator of one's English proficiency, because I don't know lol)
Original post by C0balt
The thing is English first language GCSE/IGCSE now is considered as a proof for English proficiency for 2nd language speakers. English literature doesn't prove one's English skill, as a first language person with fine English grammar can get bad grade in it. By combining it destroys the purpose of proving one's English proficiency. (Not gonna have a debate about whether or not GCSE English language is a good indicator of one's English proficiency, because I don't know lol)


Surely by combining it you can evaluate more of ones proficiency by including coursework on relevant books etc :tongue: ? Of course I know there would be more work on this idea but I just don't see the relevance of English Literature to make it compulsory.. Unlike other argumentative subjects like History


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Original post by MrJAKEE
Surely by combining it you can evaluate more of ones proficiency by including coursework on relevant books etc :tongue: ? Of course I know there would be more work on this idea but I just don't see the relevance of English Literature to make it compulsory.. Unlike other argumentative subjects like History


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You don't need to be able to "explain" the meaning behind why the man's coat was blue in order to be admitted into university, do you? I don't like literature being compulsory either but I don't want language and literature to be combined.
Original post by C0balt
You don't need to be able to "explain" the meaning behind why the man's coat was blue in order to be admitted into university, do you? I don't like literature being compulsory either but I don't want language and literature to be combined.


I agree with you mostly but I think there is a bit of creativity that can be harnessed through what is the meaning the man's coat was blue , and I feel literature shows how someone can express them-self in words and that is quite important..


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Original post by MrJAKEE
I agree with you mostly but I think there is a bit of creativity that can be harnessed through what is the meaning the man's coat was blue , and I feel literature shows how someone can express them-self in words and that is quite important..


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If I wanted to test whether or not one can express their thought in words I'd make them write an argumentative essay on whether or not bullfighting should be allowed or something as it's in my opinion more useful to be able to argue in life than expressing why the man's coat was blue. I had to write an argumentative essay, descriptive essay and a story for my English language and tbh it was enough to prove that my English was sufficient for a science degree, and if one wanted to take humanity essay subject at degree they'd have taken at A levels or equivalent anyway that their English would be more than sufficient by the time they get to university.

I personally believe history should be compulsory at Gcse though, it's probably the best argumentative subject out there at the moment and having basic understanding of modern history is vital in not being ashamed in this increasingly globalising world.

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