The UK curriculum only teaches children how to convert between imperial and metric units (approximate conversions only). It does not teach children how to manipulate imperial units. For example, no child in the UK is taught how to solve the problem "Find the average of 3lbs 6oz, 4lbs 2oz, 6lbs 15oz". They are however taught how to solve the problem "Find the average of 1.53kg, 1.88kg and 3.15kg". They might even be taught how to use the "Average" button on their calculators.
_____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Stephen Humphreys Sent: 06 September 2009 22:37 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:45750] RE: Mathematics improvement due to metrication I was at school in the 80's and at that time they had dropped imperial from the curriculum completely (aside from Teacher/kids talking casually using imperial terms, of course!) Shortly after they made imperial part of the curriculum including conversions to and from, usage, etc. In science classes the units were and still are only metric though. _____ From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:45745] Mathematics improvement due to metrication Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 14:58:23 +1000 Dear All, The Telegraph at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6138456/Maths-standards-no-better-than- mid-70s.html and the Daily Mail at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1211345/Maths-skills-standing-thirty -years-GCSE-grades-soaring.html have both reported that metrication has helped students in the UK with decimals knowledge. Here is the quote from The Telegraph: It found secondary pupils were much more familiar with decimals than they were 30 years ago. Researchers put this down to "cultural changes" including metrication and the increased use of calculators and computers. Cheers, Pat Naughtin Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, that you can obtain from http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com <http://www.metricationmatters.com/> for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe. _____ New! Receive and respond to mail from other email accounts from within Hotmail Find out how. <http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/167688463/direct/01/>
