OFSTED criticises UK maths teachers for teaching for tests

[J77]

Just heard on the radio that the schools inspector OFSTED has criticised UK maths teachers for teaching kids how to pass exams, ie. not teaching them the basic theory behind the maths they're doing.

This is a major problem in education these days, especially in exam based subjects. Kids are learning how to remember specific methods for specific exam questions, without getting a general feel for the subject.

We need to get rid of this exam culture - kids are even SAT tested in primary schools now when they should be enjoying themselves.

This observation from an independent body can only be a good thing.

Mr Blair: Education shouldn't be about league tables! Education shouldn't be about which school, or which candidate is the best!

bbc link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4987110.stm

 

[Curious3141]

When I first saw your thread, I though it read "Oersted". I was wondering what a dead Danish physicist could have to say about modern English education.

 

[matthyaouw]

Just in maths? All through my GCSEs and A levels it was the same. You'd spend hours on past exam questions, learning what kind of thing to expect and how to put together a good answer. Pretty much the same questions would come up every few years, and teachers would make predictions (often right) about what we'd be asked based on what had been asked the past few years. I lose count of the amount of lessons I've spent learning how to write the right kind of essay to impress an examiner.