EVEN with practise, mathematics can be difficult to master, but anything is possible. However, Malaysian students today are faced with ‘KBAT’ questions that are on a whole other level.
Just how crucial is it for Standard 3 (nine-year-old) students to familiarise themselves with currency rates?
Malaysian school teacher Cikgu Mohd Fadli Salleh expressed his dissatisfaction on his Facebook page recently about a lesson on money from a Standard 3 school book.
The post wrote, “I’m going in to teach a Standard 3 class in a bit. The topic is money. So, as a dedicated mathematics teacher, I first checked the book to prepare for the lesson.”
To his surprise, he was perplexed when he opened the book and saw page where students need to state the exchange rate of the currency in the following countries compared to RM1.
“Not only would children not be able to answer these, even bank officers wouldn’t know the answers. What is the purpose of this topic for Standard 3 children? Please, to the drafter of the syllabus, list down five advantages of a nine-year-old learning this topic.”
Cikgu Mohd Fadli Salleh ultimately made the decision to forgo this particular session, adding that if anyone, including officers from the District Education Department, asked him why he skipped it, he would ask them to teach the topic instead.
What do you think, parents? Would you prefer that your kids study these arithmetic concepts or only the fundamentals?
