MATHEMATICS IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS 171 



It is a specialised technical accomplishment, just as much as 

 dexterity in glass-blowing or Latin verses or machine-drawing 

 or playing the piano or shorthand — all of them very excellent 

 things in the right place but by no means essential to a liberal 

 education. If there were no other way of using mathematical 

 time than in giving this technical skill I should say at once : 

 Cut ofif some time and give it to English or science or some- 

 thing else of general cultural importance. But naturally I do 

 not take this view ; on the other hand I am persuaded that 

 a drastic abatement of this juggling with algebraic symbols 

 would free enough time to put every ordinary boy in possession 

 of the fundamentals of trigonometry, mechanics and the calculus. 

 Mathematics would gradually become, for the nation at large, 

 a thing of real significance ; we should no longer have head- 

 masters writing to the Times about " the transient but blighting 

 shadow of x+y cast over their schooldays." 



The question of lightening the algebra syllabus is ripe for 

 solution. The Mathematical Association Committee has taken 

 this particular problem into consideration and at the beginning 

 of the present year issued a report containing definite sug- 

 gestions for immediate action in this sense. The report is 

 entitled The Teaching of Elementary Algebra and Numerical 

 Trigonometry (G. Bell & Sons, Ltd., Portugal Place, 

 Kingsway, 3^.). 



In it a hope is expressed " that it will be possible to influence 

 the demands of examining bodies in such a way that the 

 teachers will have freedom to put to better use much of the 

 time at present spent on the elaboration of algebra in elementary 

 classes. Many teachers wish for opportunity to develop with 

 their pupils mathematical ideas that they feel to be of greater 

 educative value — ideas drawn from mechanics, mensuration, 

 solid geometry, infinitesimal calculus and more especially 

 numerical trigonometry. Custom, represented by public 

 examinations, has at present the effect of withholding that 

 opportunity." Throughout the report the dominant demand 

 is " freedom for the teacher to use to better advantage the 

 time at his disposal." There is no attempt to constrain con- 

 servative teachers to abandon their well-understood ways ; 

 examiners are merely requested to set " questions involving 

 numerical trigonometry and other subjects that it is desirable 

 to introduce ... as alternatives to questions now set on parts 



