Exam ban on calculators Mental maths on way back

SECONDARY school pupils are to be banned from using calculators in Standard Grade maths exams in a bid to encourage a return to basic numeracy skills.

The move comes amid concerns by parents and employers that young people are leaving school unable to do simple sums.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority - which sets the exams - wants to introduce papers that test pupils' mental arithmetic skills rather than their ability to punch numbers into a calculator.

Pupils will continue to be able to use calculators in papers that include complex algebraic formulae, but the SQA mathematics panel wants separate non-calculator papers to be introduced at every level of the Standard Grade exams.

The move was welcomed by parents' groups and teaching unions but one expert in mathematical education said it was a backward step.

A report prepared by the SQA said it had decided to launch a consultation following ''recent concern that certain basic numerical and algebraic skills in Standard Grade mathematics will be eroded by inappropriate use of calculators unless non-calculator papers are introduced into the external examinations.''

It added: ''The proposals recognise the concerns regarding basic skills and the desirability to have a consistent approach to non-calculator skills.''

Mr David Hutchison, president of the Scottish School Boards' Association, said: ''We hear so often from employers that they consider pupils who are leaving school today don't seem to have the same numeracy and literacy skills that they had.

''The methods of teaching arithmetic, and particularly mental arithmetic, have obviously changed and we are all more dependent on calculators and computers in today's working environment.

''However, you should still be able to know whether the answer you get out of a calculator is in the right ball park and you should still have a feel for numbers, which I think is missing from children who do maths today.''

Mr Tino Ferri, executive member of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, said: ''Personally I have always been opposed to the use of calculators in examinations.

''I am all in favour of a complete ban on aids in exams and this is a step in the right direction. If they decided to ban dictionaries from modern language exams I would welcome that as well.

''Pupils should be tested on what they have learned. That is not happening and the result is that we have kids who don't know their times tables. What the SQA is doing is no longer seen as reactionary. It shows there is a climate of change back to the basics and I welcome that.''

Mr David Eaglesham, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, said: ''This seems a reasonable response to the issue, raised from time to time, about the basic numeracy of pupils.

''To function in the world we have occasionally to do basic arithmetic without electronic means. It seems reasonable to ask pupils to demonstrate that aptitude.''

But Dr John Searl, a lecturer in mathematical education at Edinburgh University, said pupils should be encouraged to use calculators as a ''tool rather than a crutch''.

He claimed that the place of maths in today's society is radically different from 20 years ago and we are now expected to make complex calculations more often.

He cited two separate studies, in Sweden and Edinburgh, which revealed that pupils taught using calculators were better problem solvers than those taught without.

He added: ''If you ban the calculator you inhibit the kids and they don't perform as well. My instinctive reaction is that it would be a mistake to introduce a non-calculator Standard Grade paper because, at S4, the pupils are quite well on. They are 16 years old - they are not babies.''

Sample exam questions - chemicals of the natural environment

You will need to remember, select and clearly communicate facts and explanations that you have learnt from studying.

These questions may, at first, appear to be about things you haven’t learnt. But the question will give you all the information you need to answer it when combined with your own knowledge and understanding.

When you see an unfamiliar situation in a question:

To get full marks on this type of question, you will usually have to do more than just processing data (eg doing calculations or plotting a graph) or describing it (eg describing the pattern in the results or the shape of the graph) - you will have to come up with your own conclusion or decision based on the evidence you have been given.

Sometimes, you may be asked whether you agree with a statement or a conclusion. You may not get any marks for simply stating that you agree or disagree - most or all of the marks will be given for explaining and justifying your decision. Your answer must make it clear that your decision is based on the evidence you have been given in the question and your own knowledge and understanding of chemistry.