smart51
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 10:57 AM |
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Worrying maths related news on the BBC
BBC link
The news compares questions posed to 1st year University maths students in China and the UK. The Chinese question is a fairly complex 3D geometry
question in 3 parts. The British question is a very simple 2D geometry question that I answered without thinking before I'd even finished
reading the question. I was given harder problems than this in the 3rd year of high school, the year before I started my O levels. Is this what
education in this country has come to?
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:03 AM |
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not sure whats going on there
I never received anything that simple during my maths degree, the pre-entry assessment was more like the chinese question
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smart51
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:06 AM |
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Thinking about it again, I'd expect a bright 11 or 12 year old to answer the British question. There's perhaps something wrong with the
source of this story.
The Royal Society of Chemistry has been getting all political over the standard of science teaching in schools. Perhpas they're just trying to
make headlines.
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:12 AM |
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you can't really dispute the taught standard of mathematics and science is sliding.
that chinese problem is quite fun actually
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flak monkey
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:18 AM |
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Looks like a joke to me.
The Chinese one is most like my A-level maths. 'English' one is like first year high school. Maybe its from one of those
'unis' who advertise on TV every september?
Typical, 'look how rubbish we are in this country compared to everyone else' type of attitude which the media seems to portray. Does us
loads fo favours doesnt it?
We have one of the best higher education systems in the world, and this sort of thing is just annoying (to people like me) and misleading to the
general public and just backs up the attitude that if you have got a degree recently it is worthless and you dont know shi7.
David 
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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02GF74
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:20 AM |
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that is old news from 2007 - think I may have even posted about it.
I did think about it and it is very likely that the UK question (3-4-5 triangle?) was deliberately selected to be an easy question and likewise for
the Chipanese one. A bit like manipulaing statistics to prove your point.
Regardless of that, my sister is school teacher and once in a while I see the sort of course work pupils are being taught and standards have slipped
by a hooooooooooooooge amount.
We are definitely falling behind.
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l0rd
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:26 AM |
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Me working at the educational system nowadays makes me question myself occasionally “Which educational system?”
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mr_pr
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:27 AM |
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I'm sorry but these constant digs at the state of education in the UK in bloody annoying now.
If you manage to scrape into a University doing a low standard "Science/Engineering" course then this is likely to be the level at which
they will aim the teaching material. However, If you go to a good university to study a hard course then you will not see questions like that.
My degree is very respected within the Engineering community the University I graduated from likewise. I have spent my entire education having the
qualifications I was working towards, or recently achieved belittled by some news reporter that more than likely arsed around at university studying
some half wit degree.
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flak monkey
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:31 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mr_pr
I'm sorry but these constant digs at the state of education in the UK in bloody annoying now.
If you manage to scrape into a University doing a low standard "Science/Engineering" course then this is likely to be the level at which
they will aim the teaching material. However, If you go to a good university to study a hard course then you will not see questions like that.
My degree is very respected within the Engineering community the University I graduated from likewise. I have spent my entire education having the
qualifications I was working towards, or recently achieved belittled by some news reporter that more than likely arsed around at university studying
some half wit degree.
Well said, and join the club 
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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splitrivet
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:35 AM |
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Both questions are Chinese to me.
Cheers,
Bob 
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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fesycresy
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:45 AM |
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Anyone remember:
some officers have curly auburn hair to offer attraction ?
Pity there wasn't an easy way to remember chaos theory.
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The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
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02GF74
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:55 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Well said, and join the club
yes but you 2 are in the same club - you've graduated recently and judging by mr_pr birthday, him too. 
It is back to the old argument we've had before where the old boys reckon their education was more difficult against the young'uns who
say otherwise.
I am not going to comment about degrees but from what I can see of the educational standard in school (11-16 yr olds) it has without no doubt become
much easier compared to what I did in school.
And I won't even mention about 0- and A- levels becoming easier to boost the government's popularity rating they they are improving
education.
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chrsgrain
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 12:11 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by fesycresy
Anyone remember:
some officers have curly auburn hair to offer attraction ?
Or... sex on hard concrete always hurts the orgasmic areas....
Chris
Spoing! - the sound of an irony meter breaking...
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Humbug
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 01:17 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Well said, and join the club
yes but you 2 are in the same club - you've graduated recently and judging by mr_pr birthday, him too.
It is back to the old argument we've had before where the old boys reckon their education was more difficult against the young'uns who
say otherwise.
I am not going to comment about degrees but from what I can see of the educational standard in school (11-16 yr olds) it has without no doubt become
much easier compared to what I did in school.
And I won't even mention about 0- and A- levels becoming easier to boost the government's popularity rating they they are improving
education.
Was that deliberate (zero instead of O)?
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oldtimer
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 01:43 PM |
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There is no way I will enter such a minefield of a subject.....
......except to say that the other day, my nephew (10 A* and 1A at GCSEs) had been at his school doing mock entrance interviews as he wants to study
physics at Cambridge.
But, he didn't know how a fridge works so asked me. I gave it a reasonable answer (O level physics 35 years ago, grade B....) but I was
supprised that A levels did not appear to cover what was done at O level in recent times.
I leant him 'How things Work' by Dorling Kindersley. He expects to get through the interview now.
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whitestu
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 01:44 PM |
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MMM - people always remember stuff being harder than it actually was. I did bugger all at school, had crap teachers and still passed '0'
levels.
I looked back at some of my essays a few years after my economics degree and they didn't look quite as good as I rememembered them!
The problem in schools now compared to when I was a kid is that all the thick kids are still in education, whereas when I was young they would all
have left at 15, if they hadn't been kicked out before.
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RK
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 02:02 PM |
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But do you have the real threat of abject poverty if the tests aren't passed? Probably not, so consider who actually tries to do the Chinese
test in the first place - yes, that's right, the brainiacs who actually like to eat once in a while.
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Phil.J
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 02:07 PM |
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I work in a university science department and we have a significant Chinese intake. Believe me, they wouldn't know where to start with that
'typical' Chinese exam question!
To be fair, nor would most of the indiginous students.
[Edited on 28/11/08 by Phil.J]
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Humbug
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 02:23 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Phil.J
I work in a university science department and we have a significant Chinese intake. Believe me, they wouldn't know where to start with that
'typical' Chinese exam question!
To be fair, nor would most of the indiginous students.
[Edited on 28/11/08 by Phil.J]
Is it Newcastle Uni? linky
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BenB
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 07:02 PM |
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That UK one is a POP!!! Basic pythagorus for the main with a bit of trig in at the end. I think we did trig first year sixth and I was in the slow
set
That Chinese one though is plain evil It's also very sexist because women tend to struggle with 3D visualisation and you have to do that
before you can even begin to work the maths. Perhaps I'm too in touch with my feminine side- trying to work out the shape is giving me a
headache!!!
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JoelP
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:06 PM |
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i remember a question similar to the chinese one that i must've done with my A-level maths. It was based on a tent rather than whatever that
shape is, but the concept was much the same. Was dead easy then, though i'd be scratching my head now.
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Peteff
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| posted on 28/11/08 at 11:16 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by oldtimer my nephew (10 A* and 1A at GCSEs) had been at his school doing mock entrance interviews as he wants to
study physics at Cambridge.
But, he didn't know how a fridge works so asked me.
That's easy, you just plug it in and switch it on, the microwave is a bit more complicated as you have to know how long things need.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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02GF74
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| posted on 29/11/08 at 06:37 PM |
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So what happens after you have plugged the fridge and leave the door open?
Will it make the room colder so you have equivalent to air con?
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