Dumbing Down

A few days ago, I got an email about the advancement in math teaching.

Teaching Maths In 1970: A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000. His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price. What is his profit?

Teaching Maths In 1980: A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000. His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price, or £800. What is his profit?

Teaching Maths In 1990: A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000. His cost of production is £800. Did he make a profit?

Teaching Maths In 2000: A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000. His cost of production is £800 and his profit is £200. Your assignment: Underline the number 200.

Teaching Maths In 2008: A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is totally selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands.
He does this so he can make a profit of £200. What do you think of this way of making a living?
Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers. If you are upset about the plight of the animals in question counselling will be available)

The sharp-eyed reader can notice the county of origin of this particular text, but the dumbing down of education is a concern in many developed countries. There is a strong current of being concerned with the students' self esteem. So strong is this motivation, that it becomes difficult to give a failing grade, a poor grade, or even to point out an insignificant error. In many places, it is considered wrong to correct spelling mistakes, lest it injures the child's self confidence. Why do we think modern children are so brittle? More importantly, what are the effects?

A few observations about changes over the last few decades. These observations are subjective, and need to be verified scientifically:

• Primary schoolers seem to have more spelling mistakes than they used to. As soon as we put aside complex arguments and just look at the obvious, it is not surprising: If we don't point out spelling mistakes to pupils, many of them will retain those mistakes


• Graduation tests, matriculation tests, etc. are getting easier, meaning that the grades become less meaningful


• School graduates being admitted into universities and colleges cannot be taught the same way they were a decade or two ago. The course materials need to be simplified and diluted, and less understanding can be demanded

The reader (that is, if there even is a reader) may be inclined to think that this is an extreme way to present the situation. There are some even more extreme thoughts in the writings of John Taylor Gatto about Dumbing Us Down.

But cynicism aside, and whether the dumbing-down is part of a Prussian whiplash caused by the Battle of Jena (as proposed by John Taylor Gatto in The Public School Nightmare: Why fix a system designed to destroy individual thought?) or part of a post-modern confusion, it would be nice to reverse it. Making changes would be difficult - going against established behavior and thought patterns. But a good start would be taking a good look at it: First at the short-term - the last few decades. We should establish whether we are producing less competent graduates, or just have a case of the Nostalgia. If we get clear results from credible research, and do the PR well enough, we may be able to drive some change.

The long-term - reevaluating a system established centuries ago - is tough. I am not aware of a well-thought revolution ever achieved. Without major bloodshed, that is. Any ideas?