Should Maths be optional at GCSE?

According to a maths 'expert' students should not be compelled to study Mathematics after the age of 14! Comments please.

See link for story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3561678.stm

Reply 1

BlondeFunkyChic

I don't think you should have to study Maths, yes I suppose we need in every day life...but it depends on what you want to do with your future. I don't have GCSE Maths and 4 Universities accepted me, also the teacher who taught me Sociology at college he didn't have his maths and he has a degree in teaching, sociology AND history!

Reply 2

happysunshine

8

yawn1

According to a maths 'expert' students should not be compelled to study Mathematics after the age of 14! Comments please.

See link for story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3561678.stm

I partly agree, the GCSE Maths Intermediate paper and SAT 5-7 paper are practically identical. So what's the point?

Maths should go back to days of useful sums.

Reply 3

fishpaste

I think English, Maths and Sciences should be compulsory until 18. We're an advanced society, education for the sake of education is worthy. Actually, I think we should just take on the american style of curiculum.

Reply 4

Wise One

11

No way! The only thing that should be compulsory is English (Communication). No compulsory GCSE foreign language either!!!! Aaarg, I got my lowest mark in German.

Reply 5

Lil !*!

2

Yes I think it should be but i think that most of the stuff they teach at the higher end of the GCSE is pointless. I dont think we really need to know much past the intermediate paper. I think foreign languages should still be compulsory as well, but i love languages so i guess i would say that! I think for travel communication it is essential we know other languages, why should everyone else learn english just cuz we dont want to learn anything else?

Reply 6

Squishy

11

I think a form of English, Maths and Science should be compulsory throughout the whole of school, but it should be more practical than it is now. They should be teaching people how to read fluently (a surprising number of people can't do this) and write decent letters in English lessons for example, rather than feeding us crap about how brilliant Shakespeare supposedly is. Learning a foreign language is also a really good thing too.

Reply 7

StarBlueUK

2

I think that some elements of maths are important in everyday life, e.g. the basics, fractions, and so on, but I think that knowledge of trigonometry, geometry, etc seems useless unless you're going into a career which you will need the specific knowledge.

No.

I belive that everyone should be taught the basics of Maths, English, and the Sciences to a level that is useful in the modern society. Maths and English are required in almost every job, even if it is just for counting money or writing a letter.

Having said that, the issue of whether GCSE's are the best way to go about educating people in the practical use of these subjects is another matter entirely.

Reply 10

manps

no it should not be optional

Reply 11

thelibertines

6

No, I don't think it should be optional at a GCSE level.

Reply 12

KerChing

10

StarBlueUK

I think that some elements of maths are important in everyday life, e.g. the basics, fractions, and so on, but I think that knowledge of trigonometry, geometry, etc seems useless unless you're going into a career which you will need the specific knowledge.

still i think its just a way to just make your mind work to a certain level, for example the number of problems encountered in subjects like physics, chemistry and biology could not be understood at GCSE level without a good understanding of maths...

off course maths to a very big extent is very boring, i should know cos i did the alevel lol, but still it is not just any old subject, it is the crux of most logic, lateral thinking that allows you to apply this knowledge to any area of science problems.

but to be honest with the invention of calculator which conduct 90% of all useful modern day calculations in normal society, it does not need to combine certain aspects of maths (e.g. trig) in the intermediate/foundation papers.

Reply 13

happydinosaur

15

I don't think it should, although i am not sure if it needs to reach the level it does at GCSE because for most people i cannot see how some of the really advanced material is relavent and i have forgotten most of it. And i agree with English being relavent and although most people do not need to know all that Shakespeare it does give general analysing skills that can be applied to other areas. Although those skills could be developed through other texts..and as for foreign languages, I don't have any language GCSE but i did take the course and have found my knowledge of german/spanish/italian useful in many ways.

Reply 14

thelibertines

6

GCSE maths is pretty basic stuff anyway. There are a few challenging things towards the end of the higher course, but really, that's about it.

Reply 15

LS.

8

I don't think it should be optional. As mentioned above, doing subjects at A-level requires maths skills - standard deviation in Biology, titration calculations (:shudder :smile:

in chemistry, and basically physics as a whole...

I don't particularly enjoy maths (well, I did before gcse's) but if I hadn't have chosen it, it would have limited options.

It could be argued that some of the aformentioned maths in those subjects could be taught in class, but, if some people had done maths, and some hadn't there is a bigger divide than there is currently (between those who did/n't do higher/foundation maths).

Reply 16

jpowell

15

Shouldn't be optional but maybe there should be a maths course which doesn't concentrate so much on the abstract things and perhaps teaches methods to do arithmetic in your head quite fast.

Whether people like it or not, Maths is important, and just because some people find it hard taking it off the curiculem to 'improve' results is a bad idea.

Reply 17

sashh

happysunshine

I partly agree, the GCSE Maths Intermediate paper and SAT 5-7 paper are practically identical. So what's the point?

Maths should go back to days of useful sums.

Maybe they should issue a maths GCSE on the basis of the SAT paper?

Reply 18

LifeWired

1

thelibertines

GCSE maths is pretty basic stuff anyway. There are a few challenging things towards the end of the higher course, but really, that's about it.

The problem is many students do find it challenging, even worse, a waste of their time. I can't think of many mainstream practical situations where I'd be called to apply knowledge of the quadratic formula or basic trigonometry! (Although a friend of mine did use both in the construction of a quarter-pipe for skateboarding...impressive!)

I'm not sure if it should be optional, but it should certainly be skewed towards more practical applications at least in the foundation and intermediate papers. Then pack more of the arguably harder and less comprehensible topics into the Higher paper! All I know is that I've been taught not to like it too much in Further Maths... Think I'll pass on a degree!

Reply 19

undiscovered

13

sashh

Maybe they should issue a maths GCSE on the basis of the SAT paper?

I wish!
I got level 8 in maths an an A in GCSE. I know level 8 = B roughly, but i definitely felt as though i could get an A*, until i had an awful teacher and lost interest.

Should Maths be optional at GCSE?

Related discussions

Articles for you