Crap at maths - does it matter? I can add up a shopping bill quicker that the till assistant and work out how many tiles I need for the bathroom or paper for the walls. That's it. Since the age of 16 that's all I have needed.
My 20-year-old son is still doing maths and he will spend a lifetime working out complex equations. Fine, that's what he's good at. Carol Vorderman wants all children to study maths until they are 18. Good luck to her, but count me out on that one Carol.
True, good numerical skills are essential. We have spend enough to take us twice around the world on Kumon. Primary schools did not prepare our kids well enough, so we went the private route and are ever grateful that we did. There is no way that our lot would have made the grade without it. They wanted to be vets and engineers, so roll out the sums and let's get cracking.
My argument is that by the time a person gets to 18 their view on maths is set in stone. They either enjoy working with numbers or they don't. Their attitudes have been formed in primary schools where they have been shown five different ways to solve the same problem. It bores the bright ones rigid, but the idea is to give them several options to come to the same conclusion, instead of one good route which is practised until they are all perfect at it. That's how I did maths.
That's why I can add up my shopping bill much faster that the teenager behind the counter. Sort out the primary schools and your job is done Carol. In the meantime, we will stick to Kumon.
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