In recent news, I heard that Rishi Sunak in UK is making math as a compulsory subject till High School. Well, doing good in subjects is more important than inundating children with a plethora of knowledge. It seems UK High School syllabus have space for an extra course, so let the extra space be filled with nice things unique to each student for each child is special and different. In case students want it well and good, but in case they don’t want it, then why make it mandatory? Why not let students choose their own credit based specializations!

Let children learn with ease what they want to learn. And why not let children be given optional subjects, where students can do some number of online courses form good places to fill in the grades? This would benefit both the students and the current problems both lack of teachers and financial budgets.

Let this extra subject in high school be made of credits and these credits can be filled by any credit courses, not necessarily by high school maths, some on review maths, some on actuary science, and some even on marketing without math’s. Know each student is unique, so treat them uniquely in this way. Let them choose online courses to fulfill their credits in this subject.

Shortage of technical skills can be gained by diplomas, and online courses where essential things for jobs are taught. They may not be teaching necessarily in-depth mathematics but essential parts. An overview of certain math’s topics is needed even in AI these days. But one must note that not all work needs through maths knowledge. Hence, developing diplomas and online study option after schools can be encouraged.

Yes, being in touch with math’s can be interesting to math’s lovers, and it can be useful to give few hours a week on math’s that can be a review of earlier read math or some new topics, but all that if students are interested.

Short-term courses can be given to those interested after school or when the students are mentally ready for it. Vectors and Matrices can be taught in college or diplomas as well if required. Those from non-maths backgrounds should be given software that takes numbers as inputs using Graphics User Interface (GUI). GUI is better than making uninterested students learn math’s.

There is no stopping if you want to learn math’s. But not everyone wants to learn math’s. Not everyone wants to spend time doing calculus when they don’t want to enter research and development in AI or other subjects. Practicing limits, differentiation, and integration need lot of efforts which some art and social studies-loving student may not like to do in high school. Doing this after high school is a different thing.

To understand bills and contracts, finance and banking, students do not need to study higher math’s, preliminarily online courses can help them with basics but if they want to is important.

It’s better to tell students what they would have to give in to do high school math’s and what they will get, what they like, and what is the cost. To improve math’s skills refresher courses can be kept till high school. Yes some chapters can be exchanged in the math’s syllabus to introduce matrices in younger classes and while some geometry lessons can be removed from 10th grade.

Studying some form of maths is different than compulsory maths till high school. No its not the same. Some parts of reviews on maths are good for even college students but please not compulsory or if compulsory it should not be graded.

This won’t end here; students would be judged by their maths performance and even been asked interview questions on it while applying for basic jobs.

Changing culture around maths is more than changing culture. Let us be free and let us be what we are rather than being forced to do something that does not define us.

Noone can be master of all things, that is why so many streams are made and to help in understanding other fields interdisciplinary experts are present in all streams. Doing summer camp exercises or a refresher course or an optional activity subject can be better than compulsory courses. In case students like it, they can always take the full course, but the choice would be theirs then.

In summary, suggestions are, basic essentials can be taught to students as per needs before high school, and after that in high school, why not get the students grade from online courses they do in math’s or related areas? Courses of the choice of students? In this way students will learn online; the choice of course would be with the student and the student gets the grade. Courses can be taken from an approved list of courses for high school and even college students. All this without paying extra money? And in case students want a mandatory course in math’s, no one is stopping them.

References

[1] Rishi Sunak relaunches plan to make maths compulsory until 18 in education speech — watch live — YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxQOB9I9HkM&t=2034s)