The numbers are out and they are terrible. More than 180 scientists signed an open letter published in Le Monde newspaper warning of falling maths standards in France. This is more than just a complaint. This is a direct response to the OECD’s latest PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) report. The figures confirm a sharp decline in the performance of French students.
Inequality is growing rapidly. French students decreased by 21 percentage points compared to the previous report. The average decrease for the other participating countries was only 15 percentage points. France remains at an average level worldwide. It wasn’t a complete failure. However, in Europe, 4th graders rank last in mathematics.
There is no national strategy
Signatories, mathematicians, economists and industry leaders point to a fundamental reason. There is no ambitious national strategy to address this situation. Current approaches are fragmented. They believe that investments are needed at all levels of the education chain. The system’s potential spills over from childhood to high school.
Why is this important now? Because the PISA results are published on the same day as the letter. This timing is no accident. This highlights an urgent crisis that policy makers can no longer ignore. Scientists don’t start from scratch. Decades of research have revealed these flaws. There are specific recommendations to solve these problems. The problem is implementation.
数学作为社会正义
这封信不仅将数学视为一门学科，而且将其视为一项基本权利。 在一个以数学遗产为荣的国家，它通常被称为最不受欢迎的学科。 作者们并没有意识到这种讽刺意味。 他们将数学描述为一门艺术和一门科学。 它为想象力和创造力开辟了道路。
除了美观之外，它还是实现公平的工具。 作者明确地将数学熟练程度与性别平等联系起来。 他们称之为社会正义问题。 如果学生无法接受强有力的数学教育，他们的机会就会缩小。 该制度加剧了现有的不平等，而不是打破它们。
行动号召很明确。 专家们要求立即采取协调一致的行动。 他们希望政府停止将数学视为可选的额外项目，而开始将其视为基础设施。 就像道路或电网一样，现代经济不可能建立在薄弱的基础上。 这些建议已摆在桌面上。 问题是，在差距变得无法弥补之前，是否有人会真正阅读它们。
Subscribe to WhatsApp and Google News to stay up to date with the latest technology.
