Nameson GCSE maths papers

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:

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

^ 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

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

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.

Reply 5

michaelbenson

12

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

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:

Reply 7

cottonmouth

11

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

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?

Reply 9

cottonmouth

11

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

sunscreen

7

i cant believe ppl are saying its ridiculous! wasn't it ridiculous when they changed it in the first place?!

Reply 11

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...."

Reply 12

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.

Reply 13

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

Yeah, it really has nothing to do with Islam :confused:

They use all sorts of foreign names.

Reply 14

cottonmouth

11

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

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!

Reply 16

high priestess fnord

9

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

Reply 17

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:

Reply 18

high priestess fnord

9

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