from the if-only-politicians-would-listen dept.
A report ("Vision for science and mathematics education" PDF) by the Royal Society aims to raise the general level of mathematical and scientific knowledge and provide confidence in the population and the skills employers need.
The Royal Society's ambition for the next 20 years of science and mathematics education is that it should enable people to make informed choices, empower them to shape scientific and technological developments, and equip them to work in an advanced economy.
One suggestion to achieve this is to introduce a stable curriculum that will teach mathematics and science to the age of 18; stable in that it is overseen by independent body so it does not become a "political football".
We can only have a democratic society if people are capable of balancing the benefits and risks of new science and are able to reason mathematically.
The roots of scientific and mathematical literacy lie in an excellent science and mathematics education gained early in life. This is why our report addresses specific issues relating to the ongoing and persistent shortages of specialist science and mathematics teachers and the poor progression rates of students to post-16 science and maths across much of the UK.
We need a new approach to science and mathematics education, with all young people studying science and mathematics to the age of 18, alongside the arts and humanities, as part of a new baccalaureate-style framework that provides a broad education.
Of course we are not suggesting all young people study A-levels in chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics. It is important to create new and rigorous post-16 courses and qualifications to engage students who are not specialising in the sciences.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @12:47AM
The Internet doesn't run on science, the Internet runs on likes! SoylentNews is people, not maths! Magical nerds have invented all the Technology we need for social networking! Stop teaching maths! Stop teaching science! We the people don't need any more nerds anymore!
(Score: 2, Funny) by fadrian on Tuesday July 01 2014, @02:34AM
Magical nerds have invented all the Technology we need for social networking! Stop teaching maths! Stop teaching science!
Yeah! What's this reality thing? All we need are betas!
That is all.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @08:56AM
We live in Reality Beta. Proof: It contains lots of bugs. [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Tuesday July 01 2014, @05:24AM
"I've been seeing this code pop up all over the Cortex. It's encrypted, and high Military!"
Point being, the upper classes are in a bind. This is classic Marxism! We need the peons to be able to do math, but if they know how to do math, they will realize how badly they are being screwed over! What to do, what to do.
And it seems to be, at least where I have seen this, a push towards numeracy, not to mathematics. Only the ability to do calculations and evaluate statistics, which while mundane enough, are hardly the point of higher education, and still just as dangerous for the Leisurely Classes.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @05:33AM
Animals and Proles are Free. The Proles do not need to know how badly they are being screwed over. The Proles do not care. The Outer Party do not need to know how badly they are being screwed over. The Outer Party know they are being screwed over. The Outer Party also know that they are powerless to do anything except to Love Big Brother.
(Score: 1) by jb on Tuesday July 01 2014, @11:44AM
Improving scientific literacy is a difficult problem, granted.
But for mathematics, a good place to start would be rekindling the long-lost skill of mental arithmetic in the general population.
This can be done in two simple steps:
1. Abandon the metric system
2. Abandon decimal currency
Within one generation, most people will be able to compute for themselves again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @02:20PM
3. Rehire orcs??