Sixth-Form Pupils Make Mathematics A Pastime

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27374, 12 June 1954, Page 6

Sixth-Form Pupils Make Mathematics A Pastime

Mathematics as a pleasurable recreation for adolescents is something older generations may find unbelievable, but last evening in Christchurch almost 150 sixth-form pupils from State and private post-primary schools excitedly sat forward on the edge of their chairs to watch a challenge match, sometimes barracked politely, and always applauded generously when a solution was reached.

The function is only one feature of meetings of the Sixth Forms Mathematics Society which have been held now for three years for senior mathematics classes of 10 or 12 post-primary schools. Most of them are in Christchurch, Ashburton contingents attend regularly, and occasionally parties come from Timaru and Greymouth. The programme of six meetings a year was started by Mr W. W. Sawyer, a young lecturer in mathematics at Canterbury University College, after be arrived in 1950. He learned that many pupils had difficulties with mathematics and that this was aggravated by a shortage of teachers. Invitations to attend a mathefnatics meeting were distributed in February,. 1951. A few enthusiasts were expected, but about 100 attended.

Mr Sawyer, a Cambridge master of arts, who has written several books to popularise mathematics, at first talked informally for about two-thirds of a meeting. So far this year he has not given one talk himself. Although teachers attended out of interest, he encouraged the pupils* initiative so that now they practically run their oWTi meetings. They assemble at various schools in turn, with the hosts providing supper. Observers find the whole scheme invaluable for mathematics and an interesting experiment in co-educational education, especially in a city with many boys’ or girls* schools. The topics are usually well outside the school syllabus, covering novel and surprising branches df mathematics. Approach to Problem

Mr Sawyer believes that children are interested in everything—including numbers—and that distaste for learning is created by faulty education. He has experimented at. every level from infant classes to post-graduate scholars. In Leicester he experimented in teaching engineering apprentices mathematics. On the Gold Coast he addressed negro audiences in many secondary schools. Though disclaiming personal credit he believes that nowhere else in the! world is there such a successful development of the trends he supports as in Christchurch.

Mr G. S. Troup, liaison officer between the schools and Canterbury University College (jvho assists in the scheme), and teachers say that Mr Sawyer’s achievement here is nothing short of miraculous. Enthusiasts themselves, they believe he has the secret of demonstrating mathematics as an interesting and stimulating study ‘ln a country. starved of this kind of intellectual nourishment.” They find his approach skilful and spontaneous and helped by the loosely-knit organisation. The meetings have a “shadow cabjnet” of pupils from each school participating.

Schools’ Challenge Match Last evening the pupils ran the meeting entirely. The Christchurch Girls’ High School and St. Margaret’s College had jointly prepared a challenge paper of nine problems. Some questions were original and others abridged from mathematical literature. A month »ago they were sent to all member schools arid to others much further afield that are interested.

On their honour not to get help from teachers, parents, or former pupils, each sixth form competing worked on the problems outside school hours. They reported to Mr Sawyer the number of solutions reached and last evening nominated schools were invited to put up a pupil to illustrate their methods. From a mass of x’s competitors were asked to “solve the following division by replacing the x’s* with numbers, the quotient neing a repeating decimal of five figures.” With a whole wall board of algebra, one lad turned and inquired, “Is that clear?” “No,” chorused his audience. He made another 10-minute explanation with the aplomb of a master, and then declared, “It’s obvious,” to the satisfaction of his observers. Two of the Questions The challenging girls next presented an original problem: “The sum of Bill’s and John’s ages is 72. Bill is three times as old as John was when Bill was half as old as John will be four years before he is four times as old as Bill was when Bill was seven times as old as John.” Mr Sawyer commented that this was “an appalling thing to explain,” but another confident lad worked through a mass of equations to show that Bill is 42 and John is 30.

The longest question read as follows: “Five ladies, each accompanied by her daughter, purchased cloth at the same shop. Each of the ID bought as many feet of cloth as she paid farthings a foot. Each mother spent 8s s£d more than, her daughter. j Mrs Johnson spent 6s more than Mrs White, who spent only about a 7 quarter of what Mrs Thomas did. Mrs Black spent most of all. Mrs Owen bought 21 yards more than did Beverley, one of the girls. Of the other girls, Alison bought 16 yards more than Mavis, and spent £3 0s 8d more than Eva. The other girl’s Christian name was Natalie. What was her surname?

As a matter of interest she was Natalie Elack—byt it took a long time and a lot of letters multiplied, divided, added, and subtracted to prove it.