There was a survey years ago, probably been repeated many times, asking people to add 10% GST to $100. Pretty much a complete failure rate. Answers like $20 to I don't know.

Whenarewethere wrote:

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There was a survey years ago, probably been repeated many times, asking people to add 10% GST to $100. Pretty much a complete failure rate. Answers like $20 to I don't know.

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I'd like to see how the results correlate with age groups. Is the population really becoming dumber?

From age 5 to 12 I chanted my "times tables" each school day morning; I never enjoyed it but I doubt there has been a day since when I have not used that embedded knowledge. To this day ask me what is 5 x 7 or 9 x 8 or 12 x 11 and i can provide an instant correct reply.

OECD figures indicate, without question, that Australia has been deteriorating in the educational prowess of its children when compared to similar countries for about the past 25 years. In my opinion this is entirely due to the teaching methods chosen to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills over that timeframe. Fortunately there is now, finally, arising some awareness of the failure of these "New Age" methods, such as the reading "Look and say" technique which seeks to promote pattern recognition over phonetics so, with a bit of luck, children in Australia may finally learn how to read, write and do sums properly again.

Note:

Two years past, very sadly, I gave a statement to police regarding a murder investigation; I wrote most of it prior to the police interview and e-mailed it to the officer who was about 35 years of age. When we met to do the formal stuff she read my statement and asked what the word "bitumen" meant, I explained it was a type of road surface and she said "Oh yes, I know it but I've never seen it written before". Given bitumen is not a common word her unfamiliarity is not surprising but what did strike me was her inability to sound it out - no doubt the result of "improved" education. 

Edit:

I note there is currently a push to teach Aboriginal language(s) in schools: I am unconvinced time dedicated to teaching largely dead languages to children for Politically Correct purposes is time well spent during a child's education.

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The Age article about a local school which changed English teaching

-- Edited by Mike Harding on Monday 25th of July 2022 02:02:19 PM

I have relatives older than me who can't read or write despite spending 8-10 yrs in school plus apprenticeship. Numbers are obviously problematic too. A couple ran businesses but with a helpful spouse. Sure the system is failing for some people but then it always did. If anything there is a greater disparity between the highest and lowest educated in today's world. My spouse spent the better part 25 years working in the private school sector with school age kids trying to find an educational path that suited their skills and interests. More often than not, it was the middling achievers that needed most assistance. Do you know the biggest challenge ? Convincing Mum and Dad to try alternatives. Second biggest challenge? Convincing kids what worked for Mum and/or Dad will not necessarily work for them. Public schools just don't have the funding for that type of intervention and it shows (I'm not saying that public school turns out students that are always less educated or lower intellect than private schools, I'm saying their offerings to students are more limited.).

100 is not divisble by 7.


Bit like a member of that " failed funeral fund " on news tonight. Said he had paid $100 per fortnight for 20 years. At $52k, it sure was going to be a gold plated send off.