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This problem is found in the US too. Periodically
attention is brought to the subject, then it gets ignored again. Does the
same situation happen in advanced metric countries, or is this a problem of the
US and UK alone? If it is just a US/UK problem then possibly the
connection is with a difficult set of units. If citizens of first world
metric countries also can't do basic math, then there is no correlation between
measurements and the ability to do simple math.
As for the DIY shops why would they care if people waste
money as long as they waste it on their products? If they were losing
money on people's ignorance, then they would be the first to raise the
issue. If the consumers are the ones losing their money it is up to the
consumers to complain and for some reason they are not.
It also might be as was referenced in an earlier posting
that much of the waste may have to do with trying to measure supply needs in
imperial when the house dimensions and supplies are metric.
Dan
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, 2005-06-08 05:04
Subject: [USMA:33141] Re: Use of
millimetres
Pat,
A couple of years ago a group in the UK (I can't
remember which) reported the results of similar research with the UK
population. The results showed that 1 in 3 couldn't calculate area in either
metric or imperial. This was highlighted on a BBC report about people wasting
their money on DIY because they couldn't calculate material
requirements.
The UK gov has launched an adult literacy and
numeracy program to combat poor standards, so it is officially
recognised.
It's a sad indictment of developed countrys with
mature education systems that so many people are falling by the way side.
There are I'm sure many reasons for this but as far as mathematics is
concerned a big factor in my view, (which is supported by education
professionals) is that not enough is done to encourage its application to the
outside world, or even to other subject areas. It tends to be learned in an
academic vacuum.
This situation can only be exacerbated by a
society where kids are taught to calculate using metric but encounter
non-metric or more significantly non-decimal units of measurment in everyday
life.
Phil Hall
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 4:37
AM
Subject: [USMA:33119] Re: Use of
millimetres
on
2005-06-06 09.56, Bill Hooper at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
Surely if there were a big problem with the use of
3-digit numbers, someone in the US would have proposed we add the stone to
our "system" of measures so that we could "more easily weigh ourselves".
:-)
Regards,
Bill Hooper
Dear Bill and All,
One of the issues
here is that so much of our population have few numeracy skills and the use
of millimetres (only) on a building site reduces all measures to simple
numbers � granted they may be large numbers � but they are simple, and able
to be successfully handled by a large range of workers.
I was
reminded of this yesterday when I heard a radio report from Canada that
reported on a study of some 23 000 adult Canadians. This report found
that about 42 % of their test subjects were functionally illiterate and
innumerate. I tried to find references to this on the net but could only
find these old quotes:
Quote 1
See: http://canadaonline.about.com/b/a/024678.htm
September 08,
2003
Literacy in Canada
On International Literacy Day, it's important to realize
that approximately 20 percent of adult Canadians do not have basic literacy
skills in reading, writing, counting and computing to meet the demands of
the workplace. Another 20 percent have
difficulty.
Quote 2
See: http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/abc/impabc/p5.htm
Reading
skills of Canada's adult population
Reading level
Definition
Percent of
Canadian population
Level 1
Non-readers
Have difficulty dealing
with printed materials. Most likely identify themselves as people who
cannot read.
7%
Level 2
Poor readers
Can use
printed materials for limited purposes only, such as finding a
familiar word in a simple text. Recognize themselves as having difficulties
with common reading materials.
9%
Level 3
Reluctant
readers
Can use reading materials in a variety of situations,
provided the material is simple, clearly laid out/ and the tasks
involved are not too complicated. Generally do not see themselves as
having significant reading difficulties, but tend to avoid situations
requiring reading.
22%
Level 4
Readers
Can meet
most everyday reading demands. Are a diverse group and exhibit a wide
range of skills.
62%
Source: Adult Literacy in Canada:
Results of a National Study
Although this
confirmed the 42 % figure (previously reported as 40 % and as
38 %) it did not give any more details.
>From data that I
have seen in Australia the local figures are about the same in Canada as in
Australia. But again the literacy figures are only sometimes reported and
the numeracy figures almost never. I know nothing about literacy and
numeracy rates in the USA.
The reason that I am reporting these
figures here is that I believe that to manage a successful metrication
program you needs to consider the literacy, and more especially the
numeracy, of your target audience. If your intended audience is the whole
population of a nation then you need to know about literacy and numeracy
rates -- and, as I said, these can be very hard to find and literacy figures
are more often quoted than numeracy figures.
Anti-metric forces have
often pointed out how silly it is to name large, imprecisely measured
objects in hundreds or even thousands of tiny millimetres with long rows of
zeroes. In isolation this is not a bad argument, but it ignores the enormous
practical benefits of the complete removal of fractions, both vulgar and
decimal from all measuring work. Measurement and calculations are much
easier because there are so few costly errors produced by calculations that
involve any sort of fractions.
Experience in Architecture and
Engineering, and in the Bricklaying, Butchery, Carpentry, Electrical Trades,
Fitting and Machining, Gas-fitting, Joinery, Metal Fabrication, Plumbing,
and Saddlery trades has shown the benefits of using millimetres both in the
initial learning of measurement skills and in the use of them on a daily
basis.
This 'difficulty' is put into context when we consider that
builder's labourers, in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, often with
little secondary education, have no trouble with tens of thousands of
millimetres, but rocket scientists at NASA in the USA have trouble landing a
Mars Probe using a combination of metric decimals and customary feet and
inches with fractions.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin ASM (NSAA), LCAMS
(USMA)*
PO Box 305, Belmont, Geelong, Australia
Phone 61 3 5241
2008
Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online monthly
newsletter, 'Metrication matters'. You can subscribe by going to http://www.metricationmatters.com
and clicking on 'Newsletter'.
* Pat is the editor of the
'Numbers and measurement' chapter of the Australian Government Publishing
Service 'Style manual � for writers, editors and printers', he is an
Accredited Speaking Member (ASM) with the National Speakers Association of
Australia, and a Lifetime Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist (LCAMS)
with the United States Metric Association.
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