The sun., 1919-01-05
~ 1HAT is the function of mathe.

.. "a oSCupr'So largo a portion of the |
.orsinE hours OF every schoolboy's |
,eY' c. IL L. Mayo asks this question |
nncerning educational conditions In !
coslansf in a recent issue of tho English |
rasa,ine. the National Rerfeto. The |
.,yool Editor presents herewith Mr.. |
u,yo's answer to his own question: |
start with this as an educational !
,xorn, that school work is primarily |
n.ant to be a training and that its pur- |
,ose IS to keep alive and develop the |
,.rher possibilities of the human spirit. |
We had become so blinded by the COM |
nsr-iai success OF the German organiza- |
aon, D. the ingenuity OF their applica-
sons Of scientific discoveries that we
we're fast learning to believe that our
,ducation was inferior to theirs; we
we're beginning TO think that they were
ne leaders OF the world in knowledge
md power; we had seen and weighed
heir materialism and found it both
oleasant 10 the eye and of goodly weight
n the balance OF things which seemed
% matter: we had seen that their
,chools and universities made the Ger
nan men efficient machines. capable lin
:uists enterprising in push, powerful in
heir ability TO adapt scientific facts and
ornuls to articles OF commercial utility
skng their cheap wares. shoddy though
hey often We're. into many lands with
lie bagnan's acumen and docility and
se-vility we had seen them become rich
Beyond the dreams of Monte Cristo in an
Incredibly short time. and we forgot or
ia not know that a nation organized to
MS extent Is a nation spiritually dead
We are fighting to kill that
spirit OF rnaterialism which is the very
deal OF German education and which is
ne inca ma ton OF the standard of util-
~. And Il Is just because mathematics
Is a subject which can so easily be
rrned 10 debased ideal as ~ II had
only 10 serve the purpose OF commercial
utility. that II is important to consider
what is really its purpose in education
and is educational value
There is an old story which, n not
re. Is at any rate ben trordto. and
Thich is worth remembering When
Euclid was delivering his lectures in
Alexandria lad. who had just begun
geometry, asked him: What do 7 gain
ry learning all this stuff?' Euclid with
,plendid scorn. made his slave give the
roy some coppers. Since" said he. 'he
must make profit out OF what he
earns" II he were teaching in many a
~hool to-day there would be no need
or the slave with the bag of coppers
For naterialsm is in the ascendant and
false standard of utility is abroad
Boys do not come to school to learn
tow TO get on we'll in life. but how to
spend their leisure moments in which
they are not trying to get on" wrote
Bishop Creirhton: certain II is that the
nan who does nothing because he has
nothing to do Is quite uneducated and
likely TO become, II not vicious, at least
contemptble. In the crisis through
which education is now passing 1t is
veil TO have the issue to which we are
lending; during the past ten years many
changes have been made in the teaching
II mathematics. nearly al! with the end
IN view of introducing the boy to snip
pets OF practical utility in several sub
'ects and | cannot but wonder whether
We are justified in spending six or seven
hours week for eight or nine years OF
shoolooy's life in subject which now
gives little training and does not con-
tribute its quota to the turning OF the
soul toward the light" Are We concen-
t-arng our endeavors as much upon the
l~a;er,al world rs formerly We went be-
'onl it Are We trying to Gcrrnanize
r' ttirna'.s. .bSc ssed with the idea OF
utility The divorce of mathematics as
OF any other subject Of school education,
from all iealSm is Just as likely TO de-
base the national character as the pur-
suit OF material wealth as the summunl
bonum.
In this consideration am at once
confronted with the statement. "Mathe-
r'atcs is required for examinations and
therefore must be taught" ! would beg
n dispute altogether the logical Sc
quence OF the therefore Are we to
each for examinations or to examine
What has been taught. or. in other words.
aye examinations to govern education
or to be its handmade II seems to me
- entirely false. wckeGlv false, view
- q schoolmasteT's work that he should
r. mainly interested in turning out boys
Who shall be able to pass the right ex-
sTHation at the right moment. This
VIEW has almost swamped elementary
education and has had a disastrous eff
fect upon the loss OF intellectual life In
rary schools. After long experience
and experience in two different types OF
shool L am confident that where exam
'.ati0ns play the larger part there Is
,e lower standard Of education In the
best sense of the term. 1t is the i'm
rroyement OF the mind chiefly which
makes the difference between man ana
man and gives one a real superiority
over another and the examination ma
ia, with it's poor outlook. its lack or
vision. it's paltry standard OF intellec-
ilal EFFORT has much to answer for in
re terrible reckoning which We are pay
H.. To-day One thing seems
q ar that examiners ought not to con-
tuUr IN their office in the same exam
alton for more than two consecutive
y-ars Il there is to be any freshness IN
tie llestious and an absence OF the
Stereotype in the work. Nothing mas
contributed more to the loss OF intel
uaI ideals In school life than the
Segregation o. boys into classes whlcn
s,e..aIize in the questions set In eie-
n,atary examinations; this Is not eou-
alton but the negation OF 1t; II Is 10
hol.tte the whole conception or duty
v,lrh Is not unfelt in the wider Ire De-
nd the walls of school. 1t has Deen
sAi that limitation Of output is
ds.strous policy. and It is not confined
ne section OF the community. En-
an nations must follow teaching, not
!ll Il.
So | return to the consideration or
'.c purpose OF teaching mathematics
J axe II that the special Characters
=, which II fulhls in any general
meme OF education. /. e.. or men'al
aiming, may be placed under several
, ad.ngs First. there Us the deVei-
orneut OF the imagination. Secondly
'e training OF the logical faculty, the
deduction from law. Thirdly. the tIain-
!ng = a sense of style, OF accuracy
sHd power of observation. Fourthly,
the TEACHING OF precision in language.
TO the mere acquisition OF Facts
sl fOrmulse very little vp/ss can be
attached. the subject has larger part
- play than the communication OF
cwl"age