Letter: How maths can help arts specialists
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Howard Simmons (letter, 26 August) proposes that most people don't need maths beyond elementary arithmetic. Well, surely, neither do they need skills in reading and writing beyond that of an average 14-year-old, nor knowledge of history, the arts, music or foreign languages.
But maths makes a unique and particularly valuable contribution to general education, in that it is the only field in which muddled or simply erroneous thinking is clearly exposed for what it is. The student is able to get feedback on the soundness of his or her problem-solving efforts in a way that cannot be provided in other fields.
In my experience, most people are significantly handicapped by deficient problem-solving skills and also by gross ignorance of probability, statistics and mechanics (which is not about grease and car wheels).
If everyone studied maths till leaving school, then 'arts' specialists could be more competent and perhaps less arrogant.
Yours sincerely,
ROBIN P. M. CLARKE
Birmingham
26 August
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments