Guest guest Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 It just doesn't add up By: Archana Jayakumar and Kasmin Fernandes April 19, 2006 "Vedic math is the answer!" Making mathematics optional after Std VIII is a big mistake, say two Vedic math professors, even if it will leave 13 year-old Siddhartha Roy yelping with glee. Your LiFE explores the number divide I don't wanna play the number game What are my options?" asks standard VIII student Siddhartha Roy, when you tell him Mathematics might be made optional for kids his age. The bursting-with-energy 13-year-old loves remodelling small structures and "putting things together," but cringes at the thought of his math homework. "I end up putting it off for later. I don't really hate math, but the way it is taught in schools. Kids are supposed to imbibe theorems and hypotheses passively. Why is it not made interactive like Science, which has projects and quizzes?" asks the student of Children's Academy school, Kandivali. If given a choice, Siddhartha would opt for art or physical education instead, since he loves painting and dreams of becoming a cricketer one day. "But what happens in college? Will they do away with Math?" he wants to know. Siddhartha loves the idea but is worried about parental pressure. "It makes kids forget the formulae and theorems during exams. I think it's the number one reason most kids fail in the subject." Don't scrap the system, alter it Get this right — Vedic mathematics professor "for donkey's years", memory recall expert and Su Do Ku enthusiast Raj Sippy isn't "entirely against" education minister Prof. Vasant Purke's proposal to make mathematics an optional subject after Std VIII. "I'm appalled no doubt," he declares but is quick to add, only half in jest that the proposal has its advantages. Raj's sarcasm is directed towards rote learning, which is encouraged as a method to master all subjects in most schools. But it fails to work in case of this dreaded subject, thereby injecting fear into overburdened minds, intimidating them to the extent of putting them off, and ultimately, proving to be the cause for maximum failures at the SSC level. "The need of the hour is to alter the methodology rather than scrap the subject altogether," is his simple suggestion. Vedic maths is the answer Raj Sippy teaches Std VIII students Lakhan Abichandani and Akriti Shikha the ropes of the number game "Make it more fun, yaar," stresses Raj. He demonstrates this by hurling a googly. "Beta, what is 21 multiplied by 32?" Lakhan Abichandani, Std VIII student who has spent four sessions (there are five in all) doesn't turn "calculator-slave" or scram to look for a scrap of paper and a pen. A couple of finger-in-the-air calculations and 10 seconds of mumbling later, he pronounces, "672!He has used the `Cross and Vertical' method which is 10 times quicker than conventional means." says Raj, proudly looking on at his other student Akriti Shikha who blurted "9 + 3 = 11 out of sheer nervousness" when he first met her, but has taken a shine to mental math now. "Why can't the government make Vedic Maths mandatory in schools?" says an exasperated Raj. He tells you that this ancient system based on visualisation, devised by Bharati Krishna Tirthaji in 1911, has been introduced in a few schools in the US and UK. "What then are we waiting for? The Western stamp of approval for our own import?" he scoffs. Death of competitiveness Raj reiterates the fact that most individuals use just 10 per cent of their creative brain. And chances that you might use a little extra are nipped in the bud if numbers are done away with from curricula. "Your competitive spirit also tends to do down, besides the fact that handling of finances, investments and taxes will suffer at a later stage," says Raj, in a bid to prove that the subject isn't mandatory for just those who pursue engineering, medical sciences and accounting." He offers a simple analogy. "Why potty-train your child then? And if that sounds a tad extreme, why not propose to make English optional as well?" Implement it at a lower level If at all the optional option figures on the government's agenda, Raj suggests that kids till Std III could be introduced to numbers using toys and other objects. "They can be taught Vedic Maths from Std IV onwards," says the Chembur-based former "hardcore" entrepreneur who makes an exception for bright students from Std II and III at the classes he conducts for children and adults across the city. These professionals don't need math Nischint Sohal 25, copywriter with MTV The mathematics I was forced to learn from Std IX onwards wasn't useful later. What I learnt before helped in the general understanding of the subject. Besides, in the present education system, a student does not actually learn the subject. You can mug up and score well even in a subject like mathematics. Pooja Tanna 21, fashion designer Basic mathematics is all that we require. But higher-level mathematics does not really serve any purpose in my chosen field. The knowledge does not make any difference in my daily life either. Sneddon Pereira 22, Daksh call centre employee The mathematics we learn in high school is not required in call centre jobs. Parents do some number-crunching Kusum Jindal Age: 48 (mother of class VIII student, St. Joseph High School) The idea of making mathematics optional from Std VIII onwards is welcome. It will boost the overall percentage of students who are weak in mathematics but good in other subjects, in board examinations. Jaya Jain Age: 37 (mother of class VII student, St. Joseph High School) Mathematics should remain compulsory till class X. Students might think of pursuing a career where the subject can help. Susan Pereira Age: 39, (mother of class II and IV students, Don Bosco High School) It is not a good idea to make mathematics optional from class VIII. Swati Sudhir Narkar Age: 38, (mother of class VI student, IES Suleguruji Vidyalaya) Mathematics should remain compulsory till class X. It's a subject you can score in easily, and can boost your board examination percentage. Instant nirvana Ex Air Force officer Vivek Astunkar who conducts rapid math classes for school students, gives some arithmetic tips Vivek Astunkar Get squared Instantly get squares to any number ending with 5. So, to find the square of 75: 1) Simply put 25 on the "right-hand side" of your answer. 2) Take the number that precedes five (7, in this case) and add one, giving you 8. (This is where "by one more than the one before" takes flight.) 3) Next, multiply 8 by 7 to get 56. This is the "left-hand side" of your answer. 4) Put the results together, 56 and 25, to form 5,625. Two sticks To multiply any two digit number by 11: 1) Add up the digits of the number. For instance, if the number if 72, add 7 and 2 to give 9. 2) Put this sum in between the two digits to get the answer (792). So, 72 X 11 = 792 Base-jumping To multiply any two numbers less than a base: 1) Take the base of 100, for instance. To multiply any two numbers less than 100, say, 92 and 94, calculate each number's deviation from the base. Deviation of 92 (100-92) is 8 and deviation of 94 (100-94) is 6. 2) Multiply the deviations, 8 X 6 = 48. 3) Write the two numbers one above the other on the left and their deviations on the right like this: 92 – 8 94 – 6 4) Write down the product of the deviations on the right and the difference between the deviation and number diagonal to it on the left, like this 92 – 8 94 – 6 ---------- 86 48 The answer is the number you see in the grand total. Cross and Vertical Method To multiply any two numbers, for instance, 21 by 32: 1) Write 21 above 32 2) Multiply the digits on the left side (2 x 3 is 6, the first digit of the answer) 3) Multiply the digits on the right side (1 x 2 = 2, the last digit of the answer) 4) Multiply the "cross" digits and add it up (2 x 2 = 4 plus 3 x 1 –3, which is 7) 5) Therefore, 21 x 32 = 672. http://ww1.mid-day.com/yourlife/2006/april/135507.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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