Modern education just doesn’t add up
I BELIEVE the quality of primary school teaching standards, especially in arithmetic, has deteriorated significantly in the past 50 years with the onset of decimalisation and more recently with the increased use of calculators. From the age of seven, we had to know our times tables, especially the 12 times table, for everyday life, more so than now. Why? Because we used the LSD monetary system, in pounds (£), shillings (s) and pence (d). Likewise, we had to know basic weights in ounces, pounds and stones. Similarly for measures, in inches, feet, yards and miles. By the age of eight we were totally familiar with Common Fractions, Lowest Common Denominators and Lowest Common Multiples. Also by the age of eight, we could add, subtract, multiply and divide mentally, calculations which nowadays would be regarded as ‘complex’ — with not a calculator in sight! These were the basic requirements of knowledge and understanding of arithmetic expected from a nine-yearold primary school pupil. What the education authorities these days do not appreciate nor understand, despite repeated warnings over the years, is the simple fact that there will not be calculators to hand in every walk of life to do the work the brain should be doing, nor will everything be in ‘decimal form’. This can be readily seen in any checkout if the till is not working and you find the most ‘learned’ person in the queue is a 70-year-old, who is the only one who can add, subtract, multiply or divide mentally!!
JOHN REID, Irvine, Ayrshire.