Not Stupid, Just Uneducated.

[sandyRoe]

I was buying an item in the grocers this morning which was marked reduced by 25%. The original price was £2.80.

The lady went to the calculator on her phone to do the maths.

I told her the answer and when she'd checked she said you're right.

Do the schools not teach mental arithmetic any more?

[newmodarmy]

Was  this lady quite young then?

 

[newmodarmy]

At least she knew what calculation to do in terms of which buttons to press

[sandyRoe]

She's a young woman in her early 20s.

[sandyRoe]

Yes, she could use the calculator and might even have GCSE maths, but not taught the simpler stuff.

[douglas9401]

So many of the basics of life have been discarded, it's why kids turn up to school non-verbal and in nappies.

A laptop, lips and eyebrows done, a closed mind and a connection to Dominos is all you need today

[newmodarmy]

Yes I'm sure they teach  arithemetic as my grandson at primary school  could do this sum in his head, but some people just don't get it and probably couldn't do any division in their heads, or at least don't feel confident enough to say the answer without checking it on a  calculator.

[bhg481]

A friend of mine is far better at maths than I am but can't do mental arithmetic. He's 10 years younger than me, so maybe it is down to the way he was educated.

[ToraToraTora]

There seems to be a prevailing attitude to maths that they can do it on google, calculator etc. That's ok for simple stuff but for actual maths you need to know the method.

[ToraToraTora]

How to confuse modern shop assistants....Give them the odds that usually fries their brain. Once had to pay £6.10 I had £10 note so I gave them £11.10 expecting to get a fiver back! It threw the whole place into confusion. In the end they just put £11.10 as the amount tendered and low and behold the machine said the change was a lady godiva! Who'd have thunk it?

[newmodarmy]

A calculator is no use though if you don't know whether to multiply or divide or whatever. We see posts on here from people who can't work out the area of a rectangle or find 10% of an amount.  Some just can't grasp it, howeve rmuch they have been taught.  It's the same with writing- some have no idea on punctuation... and that includes some who left school many years ago. 

[ToraToraTora]

Yes NMA I see it regularly on here from people who wear their ignorance like a badge. No amount of computing power is any use if you do not have the method.

[newmodarmy]

https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/blogs/essentials-numeracy#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20as,lost%20opportunities%2C%20income%20and%20productivity.

"It is estimated that as many as 17 million adults in England - around half the working-age population - have maths skills only equivalent to those of a primary school child."

[Ellipsis]

> Just Uneducated

Are they though?

It's said that if a tree fell in a forest, and nobody was there to hear it, then there was no sound; and if that's the case then maybe a person who went through 12 years of education, and yet can't do simple maths at the end of it, is uneducated ... hmm.

[vulcan42]

I once bought £25 worth of petrol and gave the young assistant two £20 notes. After pressing a few buttons on her till she said "this says £150 change" and then to really compound her error said "is that right?"

[straydog]

Did you say "yes" Vulcan?

[youngmafbog]

Surely if she knew how to do the sum she isnt uneducated?

I use a calculator all the time, simply cant be bothered to do it in my head and anyway there is always the possibility of slipping up so surely its best to ensure accuracy?

And yes I did Pure and Applied 'A' level and Physics, no calculators allowed.  Used a slide rule too.

[Old_Geezer]

My suspicion is that they may introduce tech at too early a stage, before foundation skills are second nature. After that there would be no incentive to learn the skills because it's assumed they'll have a crutch to lean on for life. Calculators ought not be introduced until,  at earliest, last year of primary school.

 

The other concern is whether the taught behaviour of not having to strive to learn tables, grammar, etc. will mean they lose any ability to concentrate and keep at the task of learning other things. That isn't easy; far less easy that pushing a button or two. One hopes that isn't so.

[Old_Geezer]

You're allowed ymb. You have learnt the skills to fall back on; and, no doubt, the ability to know the ballpark right answer in case fat fingers result in a ridiculous answer from the calculator.

[SIRandyraven]

Many years ago I paid for parking in a 4 star hotel in cash.

Parking cost was £4.50 and I have her a £20 note.

This caused a complete meltdown and I told her change was £15.50, give me a £10 note, £5 note and 50p.

She says I only have a £5 note, do you mind change?

I said no that's ok.

I departed with £20 in one pound coins, a five pound note and a 50p.

Went towards the rip off prices in the minibar.

[SIRandyraven]

MacDonalds drive through once and girl has a meltdown.

We had two BigMac meals , fillet of fish and 6 nuggets.

Girl says that's '£1.20 please'

I said are you sure?

Yes that's what computer says ...

Ok and I handed her £1.20 exact LOL

These were the days before order came up on a screen.