Math Just Got Harder
Ontario ministry changes Grade 12 math courses
"New" Pathways in Mathematics chart: requires calculus for comprehension. Click on image to enlarge
So what is calculus? This has been the question many seniors at Jarvis have been asking since the start of the year. In the Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus course, students were introduced to calculus in early November, which doesn't seem to bother many students. Yet, last year, students were learning calculus from the very beginning. That’s not a big problem, right?
Actually it is, because next year, Grade 12 students will no longer see calculus in the Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus course; instead the course will be fittingly renamed Advanced Functions.
Where is calculus going? It’s going to meet its new buddy, Geometry and Discrete Math. If you were as confused as I was when I heard this, have no fear. Starting next year the Geometry and Discrete Math course will be condensed and will teach students vectors (which are currently taught in the Geometry and Discrete Math course) for the first half of the year and calculus for the other.
Most of you are probably wondering what exactly caused this decision by the Ministry of Education. It was mainly the influence of the universities and their ongoing complaints about first year student who did not have the fundamental knowledge and skills in basic mathematics.
The root of these problems stems from the Ministry’s past decision to condense the high school curriculum into 4 years by getting rid of Grade 13.
As a result, the universities have asked that more time be spent in high school studying basic mathematics. That is why the Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus course will no longer cover calculus but will focus on functions and other basic mathematical skills.
At first these curricular adjustments seem like a reasonable change, due to the lack of knowledge in basic mathematics among students, but then what will happen to students who are studying Geometry and Discrete Math and are required to do so in order to apply for university?
According to Mr. Bartha, Jarvis guidance counsellor, "It shouldn't be a major problem if they are interested in the programs that require algebra and geometry."
Grade 12 Jarvisite Kevin Quach, who is currently taking both Geometry and Discrete Math, and Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus, says that “this seems like a difficult change for many people to cope with… I think teachers will have difficulty merging two courses into one; this seems like a step backwards rather than forwards.”
Due to the addition of calculus to the geometry course, students will no longer be learning fundamentals such as proofs within their geometry curriculum. Proofs are being cut from the curriculum to make room for calculus. Jarvis student Andrei Zaharia, Grade 12, had this to say on the issue: “The proofs in the geometry class are what make it the most fun, and useful for our futures. In proving theories, we practice our ability to think logically, and if students aren't taught how to process ideas, and aren't given the chance to practice thinking, then our government isn't truly promoting
education.”
Mr. Defreitas, who teaches the Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus course, feels that some of the curricular changes should not have been made. “Curriculum changes should not be made easier, but more challenging, in order to enrich students and to accommodate technological, scientific, and economic changes. The things we teach should be similar to what is taught in other parts of the world.” He also adds, “Our job as teachers is to allow students to make a smooth transition from high school into university but this can be difficult with too frequent changes within the curriculum.”
Since most students will not see calculus in high school, universities will be offering introductory calculus courses themselves. Starting next year, calculus will no longer be a requirement for most university programs except for engineering and other heavily math-based programs (requirements will vary from university to university). This does not come as a shock to people outside of Ontario, since calculus is not a requirement for universities in other provinces or the U.S. Yet, this will probably be a headache to future university students who soon will have to pay to learn something they could have been taught for free in high school.
In the end, next year’s students end up losing. Students who will be taking the former geometry course will end up leaving high school without knowing what a proof is while students taking the Advanced Functions course will have to wait until university to see calculus.
All these problems come back, full circle to the Ministry of Educations decision to get rid of Grade 13. How can teachers fit 5 years worth of mathematics into 4? The answer is simple: they can’t.
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