Should Maths be a compulsory subject at GCSE?

Many of these skills can be learnt in other subjects. For instance, when studying philosophy, it is important to identify the underlying logical structure of an argument and test whether it is sound or not. Learning to program on a computer requires identifying the type of pattern you want the computer to follow and translating it into the formal language of the code. Besides, the IT curriculum should be capable of teaching people to use a computer and Political Studies to interpret the news intelligently, otherwise what use is it to study these subjects at all?

The categories of subjects, lessons and assignments are artificial divisions anyway, a tool meant to help students with the overall goal of receiving a well rounded but thorough education by making it more organised. If the system doesn’t work and isn’t a good tool for the job, it should be changed. Currently, the system doesn’t work because the students aren’t happy and aren’t learning Mathematics well.

During the GCSE years – the last two years of secondary school – the curriculum for maths changes from the basic skills needed to understand mathematics in everyday life to subjects such as algebra and trigonometry that have no use outside preparing them for A-level mathematics. Students are discouraged from being interested in maths as they can no longer use it, it is too complicated for them to learn if they are not already enthusiastic about maths and have the right midnset for it, and it has a reputation as a niche subject for nerds.

According to Professor Andrew Hodges in the Guardian article ‘Who Needs Maths?’ (http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/nov/13/schools.uk)

“We should be trying to find ways of equipping children with the basic maths they will need to function adequately in society. I’m sure there are wonderful examples of good teaching practice to be found in schools, but the curriculum is very prescriptive and most teachers don’t have the time to be creative. We should be looking at ways of teaching maths skills through other media, such as electronic music and web design, that are more relevant to most students.”

The very fact that Maths is compulsory is causing it to be unpopular. People do not want to do what they are forced to do. People enjoy and wilfully enter into voluntary work but hate and dread their paid work, even when it largely involves performing the same tasks and one has the added incentive of pay, because they feel they have chosen to do the former while they are forced into the latter because of the need for money. Young people will do the compulsory subjects ‘just because they have to’, putting very little effort into them, while focussing their time on the topics that they choose to do. Making mathematics an optional subject will make it appear that it is the same as another GCSE, meaning that they will choose it because they are interested in mathematics, then be happy and motivated to study it.

Mathematics has a very limited application. Yes, it is needed to make a career in a niche field such as web design or banker, but general arithmetic is all that is needed to gain acceptance into most jobs. Where our curriculum is going wrong is by trying to teach children the depth of maths when the reality is they only need the basics in order to gain access to the majority of jobs. Why should a niche subject area that only grants access to a limited amount of employment sectors be compulsory?

Mathematics has limited application in real life. We will never have to as part of our daily lives, sit and reflect on the meaning of Pi. As well rounded individuals however, we will be required to make moral calculations, we will need to assess and analyse our selves and those around us. This is a daily occurrence that does affect our lives. Therefore, we should replace compulsory maths with humanities. The only maths that should be compulsory is general arithmetic. This would leave our children with more time to learn skills they will actually use throughout their lives as opposed to for one GCSE exam.

As Dr Steve Bramall, Professor of the Philosophy of Education at London University, stated; we can ask a financial advisor for moneytary advice, but to ask someone to make our moral decisions for us is an abdication of our responsibility.

When seeking employment for most jobs, employers look for the A*-C in English Language, Maths and Science. We need English to communicate, so this is a logical requirement. Science is the logical and practical solving of problems so this is a logical requirement showing good judgement. Then what is the need for maths as a discipline? If we take a shop worker, we can see how it would be desirable for them to have English and science GCSE’s to a high calibre, but math? Many argue that maths teaches logical skills, but this already occurs in science in a practical way; putting the theory into practice. Therefore, science already teaches children the skills that maths is claimed to teach.

If we took math out of the compulsory syllabus and replaced it with arithmetic, children who are perfectly capable of calculating will have more of a chance in the work environment. Children have different levels of ability in maths. You could have a student who is good at arithmetic, but not good at working with formulae and trigonometry. These children are disadvantaged by the current system as their arithmetic skills are being judged by a GCSE that has tested them on less essential material. If we separated arithmetic and math and subjects, then those who are good at daily additions, subtractions and multiplications would be able to show their skills via a formal qualification rather than it being muddled in and watered down with more fanciful but less useful math.

Learning, for example, the quadratic formula, is only useful for those who are mathematically brained and those who wish to have a career in higher mathematics, science, engineering.

For many, the skills taught in mathematics are completely useless. If someone isn’t good at mathematics, it isn’t necessarily because they’re ‘stupid’, but because they just don’t think mathematically. Very creative people who are better at arts and humanities, english etc tend to find maths too restrictive for their minds -they look at things bigger and in more depth etc -for these people. maths has too many rules and is too confined for their minds. Whilst English gives you space to be creative, as well as giving you critical and analytical skills and encouraging you to become an independent thinker. Its not like Maths where you are spoon fed and you have to follow a certain formula or otherwise its wrong.
Obviously maths is not completely pointless, and for those who are mathematically minded I think it is important that their skills and needs are fulfilled and they are given the opportunity to do maths, but as one of the people I have described myself, I find much of the curriculum far too left-brained, logic etc centred, and so I think there should be compulsory basic maths which everyone has to do and only teaches you what you REALLY need in real life, and an optional further maths for the ‘geniuses!’. :)