Make Mathematics Optional For Students Grade 9 Onwards

I am not a mathphobe. Far from it. I have always been good at it.

 Partly inherited. My mother could teach me geometry – and she grew up at a time when most women in India were illiterate. When he was over 90 years old, my father could make a rough calculation in his head of how much interest he would earn every month on his savings. I have taught my children to memorize multiplication tables up to 15. And, the squares of all numbers up to 25. Don’t waste your time on these things in your tests!

 But, as a professional, semi-academic practicing economist who used to teach graduate courses in Econometrics, what do I do with quadratic equations? Nothing. What do I do with sines and cosines? Nothing. And summation of infinite series? Exponentials?

 And that goes for most of my Ph.D. economist friends from top universities in several countries. (In case you did not know, economics has relied heavily on mathematics for many decades.)

 I was taught all of these things in Grades 8-11. And I still know them.

 So what?

 I know plenty of intelligent, smart, logical, productive people who never “got” them. And some who did “get” them, but have now forgotten.

 More importantly, I see young people who are struggling to master mathematical concepts that they will never use in their lives. And, older people, who say to me, “I was never good at mathematics,” as if that is some kind of demerit.

 All this because our educational systems venerate mathematics. Now, I know that mathematics is not only essential but also aesthetic.

 So what?

 I don’t “get” art in the way that my wife does, and we just laugh about it. And, I don’t “get’ classical music in the way that my son does.  No one cares. Society does not see it as a demerit.  In fact, we don’t even think of making it compulsory for teenagers.

 Understanding basic mathematics is essential. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. Percentages. Compound interest. Basic geometry. Simple, single equations.

 And the ability to use these concepts. Not to solve craftily worded tough problems, but to “get” them so that you are not intimidated.

 In one of my Intro Econ college courses, I discussed price increases in percentage terms. After class, a student asked me for help. So, I said:

 “Ok. Start with something that costs 100. Now its price becomes 107.What’s the percent increase?”

 He said (pre-smartphone days), “Sorry, I did not bring my calculator.”  And, how he must have suffered through quadratic equations and trig!

 My suggestion is straightforward. Do teach all the core mathematical concepts (my list above). And, without a focus on calculations (smartphones can do that), make sure that students have a feel for these things.

 And, then STOP. Some people are mathematically minded. Good, let them take more courses. And develop mathematics some more. But, there’s no point in hassling the others and wasting their time. Worse, leaving them intimidated, so that they feel like deer caught in headlights when they come across anything mathematical.