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The Beauty of the Quadratic Formula

 

Quadratic Formula

You must have studied the quadratic formula in high school and used it for solving umpteen quadratic equations. Have you ever used it at any time after your school education? How much of what you learnt in school or college has been useful or relevant in your practical life so far? The answer to the first question must be No unless you are a math teacher or in some profession related to math. The answer to the second question must be: Not much.

I’m currently a reading a book on education written by Vardan Kabra, cofounder of a reputed school in Gujarat. The book, Reimagining Indian Education, begins with the following pop quiz. 

Well, I’m sure you flunked that test. I did too. The only question I could answer correctly was the last one. I could do that because I began my teaching career as a math teacher and I was in love with quadratic equations.

Why did we learn what we did at school if 90% of all that stuff never came in handy in our practical life? This is the fundamental question in the first chapter of the book mentioned above.

The author hurls another exercise right into our faces. Mention a few people who are eminently successful in life, in your view. Take them from different professions. Take actors, politicians, entrepreneurs, whatever. Now list the qualities that made them successful. Hard work, business acumen, certain relevant skills, willingness to take risks, adaptability… Go on. Until you realise that their academic qualification and the scores they received in the umpteen exams in school and college don’t feature in the lists you make.

Success in life and academic performance are not correlated, the book tells us bluntly.

Such is the situation because our education system focuses too much on theories and exams. We learn the definition of velocity and acceleration in the classroom but never bother to connect that knowledge with, say, the acceleration of our car while we are driving. In fact, the real purpose of learning science is not acquisition of theoretical knowledge but stimulation of our curiosity, says the book. Does our car have velocity or speed? Does the accelerator really accelerate the car?

And, for a change, would the space criminal escape the prison planet when he reaches the escape velocity?

I am taking this book seriously though I don’t intend to carry on teaching in school beyond this academic session. I’m just taking a clearer look at the system with the lens held out by Vardan Kabra. There are too many things wrong with the system, I agree. But how many students today actually want anything more than the scores in the exams which help them to pursue higher studies which in turn will help them get a job without which they won’t have the money for a ‘happy’ life? I think one serious flaw about the system lies in the society rather than in the curriculum. Let me finish reading the book before telling you more about all this.

Let me end this with a personal experience narrated to me by a colleague this afternoon. She corrected a student’s behaviour in class today. The boy followed her after the class to tell her bluntly that she shouldn’t be a terrorist in class. The teacher was too stunned to ask clarification. If you correct a student’s behaviour, you are a terrorist today!

I told a girl student the other day that learning any subject demands a meaningful relationship with the subject as well as the teacher. The girl was scandalised. Why does this old man want a relationship with me? I read the question that rose in her mind.

Tough life for a teacher. I will switch over to online training for IELTS candidates in the next academic session. For now, I shall console myself with Reimagining Indian Education and contemplating the beauty of the quadratic formula which I was in love with for many years once upon a time and got a lot of students to love it too.

Related post: Generation Gap

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Comments

  1. Liz A.August 19, 2024 at 10:10 PM

    When students ask "when am I ever going to need this?", my reply usually has something to do with neural pathways and training the brain. It isn't the specifics that are important. It's the process of thinking and reasoning. But young ones don't really get that yet. They're more concrete in their thinking. There are many issues in education. Maybe one day we'll get it right.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalAugust 20, 2024 at 7:46 AM

      Let me share your hope too. What I notice day after day is the scary attitude problem of the students these days. Schools should do something about that first of all.

      Delete
  2. Yamini MacLeanAugust 19, 2024 at 10:39 PM

    Hari OM
    Well, there was only one of those points that I had to look up (the sin/cos thing) and was comfy with the others. But I appreciate that retaining all sorts of weird and wonderful facts and figures is not what most folks want to be bothered with. As LizA says, the purpose of education is to stimulate the intellect - I would put it that learning languages with alphabets foreign to one's native tongue, discussing comparative philosophies, music and maths, and combining them with practical vocational subjects streamed according to each youngster's interests and talent would perhaps engage them more... but of course, that would not negate the poor social attitude you seem to be encountering. Banning social media until at least age 16 might be necessary to counter that... YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalAugust 20, 2024 at 7:49 AM

      A lot of changes are required in the system. Broadening of perspectives and polishing of attitudes need to get priority. Instead here in India we're busy meddling with history's rights and wrongs.

      Delete
  3. Lux G.August 21, 2024 at 7:27 PM

    I have really high respect for teachers. It's not an easy job. At all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. peppylady (Dora)August 22, 2024 at 6:43 AM

    Math isn't one of strong suit. But I only balance a check once in my life, this was before I was 20. My son who is aviation inspector and or mechanic. Only once used one of those fancy math equation.

    ReplyDelete
  5. vanderloostAugust 23, 2024 at 9:49 PM

    Very interesting and relatable too. No syllabus teaches us to cope with life which should be the primary focus of education with due respect to all the subjects taught in school/college.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalAugust 24, 2024 at 12:41 PM

      A radical change is called for in our education system. What the present government is doing is a disservice.

      Delete

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