As a majority of the World’s population knows, the Earth rotates once approximately every 24 hours. Hence, it would make some sense for the Earth to be 240 degrees around, not 360. Where did the 360 come from, anyway?
Before you discard this thought as preposterous, let me explain why this thought experiment is relevant. You would, rightfully, moan at the thought of changes to everything from compasses to trigonometric calculations. It would be really hard work to relearn that a right angle is now 60 degrees. Stupid idea! I couldn’t agree more.
Nevertheless, that is exactly what we expose children to.
We are wasting years of elementary school math classes teaching small children two measurement systems. They learn the Empirical system of inches and ounces, miles and feet for their daily use; a system that I have yet to meet any grown person tell me makes any sense. And then we tell them that the rest of the world uses metric, so they learn metric for their science classes.
By introducing systems into their math classes that make no internal sense, we turn many children off from math in general. Multiplying by 12 and 16 is hard, much harder than multiplying by the 10, which has the added benefit of being the base of our number system. Not only are we teaching two systems; we insist on teaching the more difficult first.
We are setting the kids up for having a mindset telling them that math is hard. If you already think that you might not succeed, it is so much easier to fail. A whole bunch of brain chemistry will reduce blood flow to the parts of the brain where it is needed when we panic over how many ounces go into one and a half cups.
Unfortunately, this mindset follows many people into their adult lives, where fear of numbers keeps them from realizing when they are being conned by subprime lenders and other sketchy predators.
Finally, we have a school system where students may not meet a teacher with both passion and aptitude for math until they reach 6th grade. I have met elementary school teachers who love children, and many who love English literature, but I have yet to meet any who love math. I have even met some admitting that they didn’t like teaching math. I do not claim that my experience is representative for the whole elementary teacher population; I only say that teachers’ attitudes make a ton of difference to how students feel about the subjects taught. (You can substitute ‘a ton’ with 2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg according to your preference.)
Decades ago, it seemed as if the country was finally realizing that our measurement systems seriously handicapped our students compared to their peers abroad.
Who – but subprime lenders and predators – have vested interests in holding them back?
Editor’s Note: When public school students graduate (commence), what should they be capable of? How are our schools hitting or missing the mark? Dig into these questions and more in an open conversation led by Mac Bogert and Jeff Ikler at Salon 360, on Tuesday, August 27 at 1:00 PM Eastern.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I recall being in middle school when we were told that the metric system was becoming the one the world would use. I’m now in my 60s and that has yet to happen. Your question about teaching the harder system first is a good one.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Hope. Comments from teachers who have walked in the shoes are particularly welcome.
I don’t know the detail about why the first Mars lander crashed, but somebody who worked on the project told me it was because of different measurement systems. After all, an inch is not just an inch – that too depends on where you are. But blowing up billions of dollars in failed space adventures is apparently still not enough to convince anybody at the top that it is nuts to have two systems…